Bonnie Cooper: Heir To The Cane
by VintageSausagePatty
Summary: Prologue: First I do not own the rights to Sly Cooper or Carmelita Fox or any other character mentioned in this story that is based off of The Sly Cooper trilogy. this story line follows the OC of mine Bonnie Cooper who is the daughter of Carmelita and Sly. This story line picks up almost directly after Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves and it assumes Thieves in time never occurred.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: First and foremost I do not own the rights to Sly Cooper or Carmelita Fox or any other character mentioned in this story that is based off of The Sly Cooper trilogy. That being said, this story line follows the OC of mine Bonnie Cooper who is the esteemed daughter of Carmelita and Sly. This story line picks up almost directly after the ending of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, and we're ignoring the plot/game Thieves in Time for the sake of this story. I wouldn't read unless you've either watched the story lines on YouTube or even played through and beat the games yourself! It's got a few nods to the games and some characters too! I hope you like it!

Chapter 1: My Name is Bonnie Cooper!

It was a cold day in April, the soft cold. The kind where a jacket was absolutely necessary in order to go outside, but warm enough that it didn't have to be a parka. The clouds rolled over the Paris sky and the wind blew the windows on all the chateaus and apartments along the riverbanks.

At a hospital off of the side streets of Paris, Carmelita Fox strained and squealed in pain as doctors rushed her to the nearest room. "Hurry you buffoons!" She managed to push out in between short hot breaths. The doctors and nurses worked feverishly plugging in IV's and stationing Carmelita just right. She squealed in pain as the doctor split her legs. "Get it out! Get it out!"

Hours of labor passed, until finally the room was filled with a soft sweet cry. Carmelita's muscles relaxed and she collapsed her head back on the pillow, not realizing how stressed they were or even how she was propped up on her elbows in the bed. Her eyes fell half shut as her breaths came in heavy and fast. "It's a girl," She heard the doctor say.

She let a half smile escape her lips. "How does she look?" The smile subsided as she realized what her physical characteristics could potentially entail. She grew panicked; remembering who this child's father is.

"Why she's got your looks Carmelita. Not a thing wrong, of course we'll have to run some tests to make sure she's up to par, but she looks like a healthy baby." The nurses wrapped up the little bundle of joy and Carmelita relaxed once more and a full smile escaped her lips. The doctor came over and handed her off to Carmelita, "She's quite beautiful."

Carmelita fought off the exhaustion and held her baby close to her heart. "My dearest daughter, look how beautiful you are." She watched as her daughter's eyes fluttered open and the gentle cries subsided. She had soft brown eyes and hair just like Carmelita's. Her smile was toothy and her skin was beautiful and just what Carmelita was hoping for, no trace of Sly Cooper at all.

Just then a man walked in the room, immediately through tired eyes Carmelita recognized her brother and newfound partner in the force, Detective Carmelo. "She's just like me," Carmelita gave him through a tired voice. He strode over to her and studied the baby.

"Cute little fart isn't she?" He said waving a finger over her snout. She giggled and swatted at her Uncle's hand with her paw. "What are you going to name her?"

Carmelita thought well and hard, she didn't want any ties to Sly at all, so far she had the looks of this baby going for her, but something felt wrong. Sly, as dastardly as he was, she did care about him. She thought through history and remembered some great thieves in time and came to the conclusion. "Her name will be Bonnie, after Bonnie and Clyde Cougar."

"Thieves? You're naming her after a thief? That's so unlike you, a Captain of a police precinct in Paris?"

Carmelita just smiled; "she's got to have some sort of connection to her father. However minimal and discreet he is there." Bonnie fluttered around in her nest of blankets all the while in her mother's lap and began to sleep.

The doctors took her to another room for some tests and prints for her birth certificate. "Have you got a name Miss. Fox?" The nurse asked.

"Bonnie, Bonnie Cooper."

When Bonnie was taken for tests Carmelita couldn't fight the exhaustion anymore and her eyes fell shut and sleep overtook her and one thought plagued her throughout her slumber.

 _Bonnie Cooper. What have I just done?_

*Some Years Pass*

"You have to understand this is not a joke! I need full access to a police copter. I'm taking a trip to Russia…" another voice muffled over the opposite end of the phone… "Understood corporal, but there was a siting if I could just go I could…" Carmelita was cut off again by muffled voices… "Do I need to come down there and explain? You've gotta trust me here." The muffled voice returned and Carmelita slammed her phone back to the receiver on her desk.

She let out a sign then opened the big safe behind her desk retrieved some file and began to head for the door. "Wait here Bonnie," She gestured toward her daughter playing with blocks on the rug in the middle of her office. "And don't go wandering around the precinct again! Mommy will be right back!"

Bonnie watched intently as her mother left. She was so young and shouldn't really have been left alone, but she didn't mind. She could stretch her legs when adults weren't around. She was only five years old and she could climb to the top of the fridge and steal cookies when he mom wasn't looking. She knew she had a given knack for it and she used it to her advantage.

Bonnie didn't really know much about her mother though, granted she was always around, picking her up from school, driving her to the precinct, making her sit on the rug playing blocks and doing homework until the wee night time hours all because her mom's driven life purpose, to find and bring Sly Cooper to justice.

She never understood why her mother had such hate for the guy: he seemed like an awesome guy. Living off his will, taking what he wanted without anyone else having to give him permission. Bonnie was always intrigued by him; even though her mother "didn't want her around that stuff" she was always exposed to this rabid goose chase because it basically consumed her mother's life. Bonnie secretly wished her mom would never find him. Bless the man that can escape her mother. She envied him because sometimes even she wanted to escape her mother's grasp.

Bonnie began wandering around the office when she realized her mother left her safe wide open. Curious little thing she was, Bonnie decided to see what exactly Sly Cooper was all about. She read through the files like they were a bible of sorts and Bonnie was intrigued by everything this guy was. Even if the files were hard to read completely beyond her first grade reading level she stuffed a few of them in her backpack in between the binders so her mother wouldn't notice. Bonnie had promised herself that one day she would read them all and get a feel for just who this Sly Cooper was.

"Thank you Corporal." She heard her mother say from outside the door as she heard some laughter coming from her mom's boss. Realizing how close she was to the vault and knowing how much trouble she'd be in if her mom found her snooping around the Sly Cooper files she did a quick jump over her mother's desk and back to her blocks. Building a few simple structures to make her mother think she'd been busy.

The door opened and her mother returned with haste. She put the files in her safe and shut it tight. "Bonnie pack up your blocks you're going to Uncle Carmelo's for the week. I'm going to Russia."

*Some years Passed.*

Bonnie had just turned ten and was living with her Uncle Carmelo most of the time. She rarely saw her mother only occasionally when she wasn't running off to some remote corner of the globe trying to find Sly Cooper.

She often felt like she didn't exist to her mother, and she sometimes wished she could. Bonnie was finally double digits and her mother had missed her last three birthdays again because of her time being consumed with Sly Cooper.

She began to wish she had a father, someone else who could spend time with her and love her. She was growing up fast and no one seemed to have time for her. Her Uncle worked just the same and wasn't married or had kids. It was just Bonnie. She was trusted to go to school, come home do her homework and get good grades. She hated every second of it. Bonnie felt expendable, like she was only there because her mom just decided to have a baby.

"This is stupid." She said throwing her homework off of her uncle's tiny kitchen table. "I'm just as much alive as my darn mother. I deserve to be wanted too, if not more than at least as much as the God-forsaken Sly Cooper." Bonnie got angry and started breaking things. First it was a chair then it was some dishes left in the sink. She strode around her uncle's small living room and kicked a hole in his wall. She was amazed to find that there had been a jar with money stored inside.

A sly smile sneaked across her face, "If no one will indulge me with some company, I'll indulge myself with a little shopping spree."

Being only ten she couldn't go very far, she'd found a good amount of money in that wall. First she went to a fancy restaurant and ordered a fine three course meal. Then she went to her favorite boutique off the riverbank and bought a whole new wardrobe. Then she wound up getting some ice-cream. She felt happy for the first time in a while, even more satisfied knowing that she didn't have to work for this joy or even ask for money, she felt like a common thief, a minor Sly Cooper. Maybe her mother would focus on her if she found out. She was usually denied all requests for money or clothes. However it just seemed that no matter how much of it she spent there was so much left.

She didn't want to return it because there was so much she could do with it. Run away? Nah, where could she go? Buy her own place? Seriously? Who would believe a ten year old had that much to spend?

She worked through the options and wound up walking all the way to her old neighborhood where her mother's house was. Just a few blocks away and she could ditch her new clothes bags there so her uncle wouldn't get suspicious. When reaching her street she noticed a poor man sitting by a sewer. He was reaching in for something that when she got close enough realized was a rotten banana.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked.

"What yer' think lil'fox I dropped me dinner!"

Bonnie felt terrible, this man was so hungry he was reaching in a sewer to grab a rotten banana. His coat was worn and she felt chili on behalf of him. The November night breeze was picking up. She knew what to do with her winnings. "Here." She said handing him the money jar. "You need it more than I." The man looked at her funny

"You seris lil'fox?" She just nodded. The man took it and thanked her greatly then disappeared into the night.

When she reached her house she noticed she didn't have the key. However she heard police sirens wailing and approaching her location fast. She didn't know what to do and felt somewhat panicked. But she remembered the old drainage pipe that hung in the back of her house and lead up to the balcony. She slipped over the fence with ease and ran to the pipe. She slung her knew clothes bags up on her arm and climbed the pipe. Just like she used to do before she had to go live with her uncle. Like always the balcony door was open and she slunk in and hooked a hard left and ran into her room. She flicked on the light and opened her closet door throwing the clothes bags inside. She ran through the house and flicked on more lights trying to create the illusion that she's been here.

It was night time and her uncle would be home by now, the sirens indicated that she was missing and she knew it. It wasn't like her to come to her old house but she had a lie fabricated and was planning on using it.

As predicted the cop cars stopped outside her house, the door was rushed open by none other than her Uncle Carmelo. "Bonnie? Bonnie Fox are you here?"

She walked out of her old room and met her uncle's eyes from the banister of the second floor, "Yes why what's happened?"

"Thank the lord. I went home and the place looked like it'd been robbed. I saw your work thrown on the floor and thought you'd went missing too. I've searched everywhere and this was a last hope. Why are you here are you okay did you see anyone?"

Bonnie thought _Sure, now I'm alive,_ "No," she replied. "I finished my homework and came here after, I just miss my mom and my old bed. It's been a few months since I've been here and I just miss this place."

Her uncle relaxed. "Thank God at least you're okay. I was robbed; luck was on our side tonight that you weren't there. I'm going back to the crime scene for an investigation. You'll have to stay here tonight. Don't worry about missing you mother though, she's coming home tomorrow."

"For how long this time, three days?" Bonnie asked sarcastically.

"Permanently and indefinitely, her passport has been revoked and she's been demoted. The Corporal can't have the precincts reputation being tarnished by her never ending goose chase of Sly Cooper."

"He's really good at escaping her that guy." Bonnie replied.

"Yeah, that's because he's been dead for about ten years now. Your mother seems to be the only one who thinks he's still alive. She's sucked up company funds to find him with anonymous hints coming in from all over the globe. It's been real hard on the precinct, not to mention you."

Bonnie remembered the files she'd stolen from her mother back when she was young, based off of that knowledge alone she knew with skill like the thief of Sly Cooper he couldn't be dead. But Bonnie needed to know more. Sly Cooper was beginning to mean something to her too. "He's been dead for almost ten years?"

"Yes, now just get to rest I'll have some cops on detail tonight watching the house. They'll bring your homework and some dinner. Bless the lord for your safety."

When her Uncle left Bonnie contemplated the gravity of what he told her. She strolled back to her room and looked herself once over in her full body mirror. "I could get used to this." She said to herself, and that same sly smile streaked across her face again.

*Some Years Passed*

Bonnie sat upright in her bed; it was the morning of her 16th birthday. She noticed the sunlight was blocked by a sea of dark gray clouds. _Figures, on my birthday it's miserable._ She slowly got up and strolled to her closet, picking out loose and comfortable clothing like any other day. Something felt off about the day and she couldn't figure it out, but something strange was in the air and she didn't know what to make of the feeling she had in her gut.

She heard her mother walk by her door and head down the stairs, on her usual morning phone call. "Listen I just need a small donation, I've got a feeling this could be my chance!" A voice over the phone seemed angry and tired but Bonnie couldn't hear what she said specifically from her bedroom. She heard her mother let out a sigh and heard her footsteps stop in the middle of the steps. "No I understand, I will just have to keep looking for someone else to help." Bonnie exited her room upon hearing her mother click the end button.

Carmelita looked up at her daughter at the top of the stairs. "Morning Bon," she said as she turned and continued down the steps. She rounded the corner and headed into the kitchen. Bonnie shuddered. She'd hated when her mother called her that. At least she paid some recognition to her existence though. Carmelita brewed coffee and put her head in her hands and rested her elbows along the kitchen counter.

Bonnie walked into the kitchen and headed for the pantry, she stopped briefly to observe her mother. She was weary and beyond tired. She looked as if she hadn't slept in years. Ever since she had been demoted six years ago nothing has been the same. She looked like she'd aged beyond her years, she was only 38 and yet she looked as if she should retire.

Bonnie never really reached out to her mother; she didn't seem like the type of woman to go to with your problems because she always had a boat load herself. She'd given up her chances at a relationship with her mother simply because her mother was hell bent on finding someone who's been dead for sixteen or so years now. Bonnie was impressed at the fact that she was even allowed to look that long.

It was an infatuation that she never really understood, one that she could never figure out. Even with the files she's read from her mother's safe, she couldn't understand it. Bonnie still had those files returned a long time ago when visiting her mother's office and she left once again to go beg her corporal officer to fly to some other remote part of the globe and leaving her safe open around her again. Only that time she didn't get the chance to read any others her mother was denied before she could even make it down the hall. Part of her yearned for the rest of them, she wanted to know so much more because her mother would never tell.

"I'm exhausted you know." Bonnie froze in her place as her mother picked her head up and turned to her. "I've been hunting for this guy for as long as I can remember."

Bonnie stood in silence.

"I wish I could just find him and just get the satisfaction of winning." Carmelita's gaze turned to the back window. "I've given everything I have to bringing this guy to justice and I've given years of my life. No one will help me find him. Everyone thinks the worst. I know he's out there, I'm getting closer I can feel it!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. She had had enough, it was her birthday and yet it was still all about the notorious Sly Cooper "Are you ever going to quit this? Ever?" Carmelita raised an eyebrow as she drew her gaze to her daughter, almost as if questioning Bonnie's attitude. "I'm so sick of this, your precious Sly Cooper is dead, has been dead, and will remain dead. You are the only person hung up on his existence!"

Carmelita turned to face her daughter completely; she didn't realize what was going on entirely because this was the first time she'd actually paid attention to her daughter in a while. There was anger and anguish on her face, all for which she knew she was to blame. She'd wanted so hard to keep Bonnie out of the mix but it seems that in her heinous efforts to find Cooper she'd lost a chance at enjoying life with her daughter, her own daughter. It was the first time she'd even studied her daughter, she'd grown up so much, and Carmelita had missed most of her daughter's life. Where did she go wrong? Why did she let her obsession get in the way of the life she needed to live, not for herself, but for their daughter? It was too late to say sorry and she knew it. Now Bonnie stood here, resenting her and she had no one to blame but herself, so she stayed silent and let her finish.

"Why can't you let it go? You lost your ranking in the precinct, you lost your brother! You sacrificed everything for this 'thief' that did you so much injustice that you need to devote your life to finding him. Worst of all you lost me, happy sixteenth birthday to me!"

Bonnie turned to leave and strode off without even grabbing her backpack for school. As she strode for the door she'd noticed her mother followed behind her, when she turned to face her Bonnie saw the regret and sadness in her eyes, but she didn't care. She was too consumed with anger for all the years that she'd been just another life force walking earth, another life that wasn't possessed by Sly Cooper. "By the way," She said grabbing the door. "It's no wonder the guy was on the run from you, and if he is alive, I hope you never find him."

Carmelita stood speechless as she watched her baby girl walk out the door and stride toward school. "What have I done?" she asked herself. For the first time in sixteen years Carmelita thought to herself, for herself. Her thoughts weren't about Sly Cooper, they were about Bonnie Fox, her daughter. She knew that she'd never get back the time that she'd lost, but she could start by making things right at least in the now, in the time that she still had with her daughter. Her fingers dialed on her phone fiercely as she requested a day off of work for the first time in all these years. The boss was eager to give it to her, and on that note, Carmelita got busy.

On the walk to school Bonnie felt a little sick to her stomach, she had always been able to cast her feelings aside where her mother was concerned because in all honesty she felt bad for her. Bonnie couldn't imagine finding the one thing that was out of reach but needing it for the sake of self-peace. She figured she'd stop by the precinct to apologize for being hasty, she should just expect this of her mother at this point in her life.

Bonnie decided she didn't care if she was late for school considering she was ill-prepared for it anyway. She took a few blocks North and wound up at her mom's place of employment. She reached the assistants desk when she was denied access to her mother's office because her mother wasn't in.

"That can't be right?" Bonnie questioned. "My mom never calls out of work."

"Well believe it sweety!" the attendant muttered through bites of her gum in a rather raspy voice. "Now get to school before she winds up having to come in, it was good to see yuh again hun. Stop by some time!"

Bonnie waved her off and strode out of the building, that's unlike her. However it wasn't unlike Bonnie to get a little curious, if her mother wasn't in her office, her safe was left unprotected. This could very well be her only chance to find out what was so important about this Sly Cooper. She noticed the gutters going up the side of the building; her mother's office balcony was just a few feet away from it. A simple leap could land her there.

But how could she get into the safe? She didn't know how to hack safes. Of course she could pick pocket the lunch money off of a couple suckers at school. Sometimes she hacked the locked door of the arcade downtown so she could play video games at night, and yeah she had practiced her climbing fluently since that night she was ten. But breaking into her mother's office? Her sacred Sly Cooper safe, could she do it?

 _This could be your only chance Bonnie, you have to try…_ Her thoughts raced and she decided on an impulsive whim that she needed to do this, for her own sake at this point. She backed into the alley between the precinct and the adjacent building she slowly and stealthily climbed the water drainage pipe, careful to avoid windows until she reached her mother's window balcony.

She took a breath, and closed her eyes. Opening them slowly, she took a leap of faith and landed safely on the platform.

She did a slight victory dance and crept into the window before anyone could see. The office had looked the same to her since all those years ago when she was barely five playing blocks on the floor, when she'd first stolen those files. They've been long since returned now, but Bonnie was determined to retrieve them all this time. She strode over to the safe wishing for a clue or anything that could help her to crack it. She rummaged through files on the desk. She searched for keys after trying to pick it. Nothing helped. She began to think of what she knew of Sly Cooper, in the files that she had read, she remembered how he was able to crack this code but with help.

She knew only of Sly what her mother told her, so she began thinking back. Her mother mentioned once that her first ever encounter with Sly Cooper happened on a night in September. It was a stretch but maybe 9 was the first number, it could apply here. The day was either the third or fourth she remembers this only because one year it was back to school day and her mother had made it a big deal about being the anniversary of the night she'd met Sly. She said something about finishing up her work shift at five but having to chase the thief until he got away at seven that night. Nine-three-seven. Let's try it out.

It was wishful thinking, she'd been here for an hour at least trying to find a way in, it seemed quite hopeless and she was grasping for anything at this point. Maybe it was dumb luck or maybe just fate, but the safe clicked open upon entering the code, she let out a sigh of relief and silently applauded herself. "Okay Sly Cooper. Let's get to know each other."

She tore through those files until it was borderline noon. She read about small adventures in the Welsh Triangle taking down Sir Raleigh the frog and to Utah when coining Mugshot. To some bigger villains like The Warden Contessa and King Rajan. The files were endless, a lot about a mysterious figure named Clockwerk, which she was interested in reading into. Then she learned about his team. There was Bently, the tech guy and demolitions expert and Murray "The Brawn" as he was described.

However none fascinated her in the way that Sly Cooper did. He was a master thief and he was so skilled that no one could find him, not even Carmelita Fox. Bonnie began to see her mother's agitation, but she read on.

She rummaged through the files some more until she came across a box in the back of the safe, it was kind of big but it had been hidden by all these files that she had just now noticed it. Mainly considering all the files were sprawled across the floor. She pulled it out with some difficulty it had a little weight to it however it was the last thing in the safe that she could go through, all that was left of Sly Cooper.

She set the box down; her stomach did a back flip. She gasped so loud she thought someone outside would hear. She had to blink a few times to make sure what she was reading was actually there.

 _Bonnie Cooper._

She couldn't believe it, she didn't believe it.

 _Bonnie Cooper._

Sly Cooper, her father? No it couldn't be. She began to unfold the mystery in her head. Whenever she had asked her mother if she had a father all her mother said was he skipped out on them and died. But did he die? Did he even skip out on them? She needed to know more, what did this mean?

She opened the box cautiously, inside she found a hat, similar to the one she'd seen in all the photographs of sly cooper himself. She rummaged some more, a couple of his calling cards that he left whenever he robbed a safe and most important of all she found what gave the box its weight. She was looking at the cane of Sly Cooper, she pulled it out with ease and shock grew all over her face. There was one thing left, something she needed to read. It would confirm her suspicions. She plucked it out of the box and unfolded the paper.

 _Birth Certificate: Bonnie Cooper_

 _DOB: 4/3_

 _Birth Parents: Carmelita Fox Mother_

 _Sly Cooper Father_

She dropped the paper. Rage consumed her. She knew what to do. She plucked up the Cooper Cane and Sly Cooper's hat too. She gathered the useful files on his team and a few others and put them in a brief case she found under her mother's desk. Whatever remained she didn't hesitate, she started shredding file after file, paper after paper.

She watched as her mother's Intel on the great Sly Cooper, Bonnie's father, diminish paper by paper. When it was all gone she took one of Sly's calling cards and left it in the open safe. Bonnie was done playing this game; she was done feeling bad for her mother. Bonnie was done being Bonnie Fox. She knew she was always good at thieving, she never understood her gifts of stealth and thievery until this moment. Sly Cooper, the man her mother searched for her whole life was her father, now Bonnie had a mission to do what she could never do. Find Sly Cooper.

*That Night*

"I'm surprised you reached out Carmelita, I wasn't expecting the call to be out of family concern." Her brother Carmelo said hanging up balloons.

Carmelita felt sorrow in her soul, "I've been an idiot Carmelo, and I've given up so much time with my daughter because I've been obsessed with finding Sly Cooper for all of her life, for most of my own life. She hit a nerve today, a nerve that I needed hit. I can't let Sly control my life anymore. Maybe I have to give up maybe I have to just believe that he is dead and gone and I've been chasing a fantasy for all these years."

Carmelo stopped decorating the house and looked up at her, "I've waited 19 years to hear you say that. The girls got spunk and no respect for authority if I might add. Takes after her no good father if you ask me, but she's got a point."

She stopped what she was doing, "I never wanted to find him for me, at least not after Bonnie was born, I know Sly's a thief but I couldn't believe he was dead. I didn't want to; I wanted him to know he was a father. I stopped trying to bring him justice all I wanted was for him to see that he had a beautiful little girl now, and maybe he could put crime behind him and get a clean slate with us. Be what I wanted him to be, the man I had loved even under all the chaos."

"I know Carmelita, but the time he could have had and the chance he had are long passed, just be what Bonnie needs you to be, a mother."

Carmelita smiled. She was going to be exactly that. The guests would be arriving soon for Bonnie's surprise party and she was going to apologize for everything, give herself a clean slate with her daughter. She went to the fridge and pulled out the cake, she placed it on the counter when she heard the front door open.

She rushed to the foyer and immediately felt defeat, "I wasn't expecting you for hours we were going to throw you a surprise party!"

Bonnie was taken aback, "We?"

Uncle Carmelo walked around the corner and into the foyer, "It was supposed to be a surprise!"

Bonnie was unamused and silent.

Carmelita grew tense, "I know you're upset with me, I know I've been wrong, but I'm going to start making things right you just have to let me."

Bonnie ignored her comment and held her gaze of rage, her mother's eyes met hers with sorrow but she didn't care anymore. "I'm going to find him Carmelita."

Carmelita grew slightly angry, "I am your mother do not speak to me that way!"

Uncle Carmelo stepped in with a concerned expression, "Find who?"

"Sly Cooper, or otherwise known as my father!"

Carmelita's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She was speechless, confused, and paranoid. Bonnie picked the birth certificate out of her pocket and threw it at her mother's feet. She didn't plan to stay any longer.

"Bonnie wait!" Her mother said, but she refused and kept walking toward the door. "Bonnie Fox if you do not stop this instant."

Bonnie stopped only briefly, once her hand had reached the door, she turned her head slightly and muttered something that felt almost freeing to her. She felt like this is who she was meant to be. This is what she had needed to do in order to feel like she belonged somewhere. She always knew it wasn't here, she always knew she was nothing like her mother.

"My name is Bonnie Cooper!"

She opened the door and slammed it shut behind her as she left, and the world as hers to conquer.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Tech me Out

Carmelita tried to gather her thoughts, she stood in the center of her office, tears racing down her snout. She looked to her safe and screamed in rage. The Sly Cooper logo sat the same way it did once before in the very same safe. All the files, all the Intel, everything gone.

She fell to her knees. Her fellow police circled the office and looked for anything they could go off of. She didn't want Bonnie to know that Sly Cooper was her father. She didn't want Bonnie's life to be consumed by him just as hers had. Now she lost everything, the files, and her daughter. In her persistent pursuing of Sly Cooper she had managed to do exactly what she didn't want to, she pushed her daughter into the very life style she had fought to keep her from. She knows she wasn't around much of her life but everything she needed was given to her. She had wanted to tell her so many times, but telling her would make it real, there would be no coming back. Yet now here she was. Crying like the weak on her office floor, wishing to take back all those years where her chase had been about Sly Cooper. She felt the irony in it, the day she vowed to give up on Sly Cooper was the day she pushed her daughter too far. Now she has to start another chase to find her, for how long this time? Why didn't she think like a mother and not a cop all these years? _I've got to find her. Not for the sake of jailing her, for the sake of apologizing. For the sake of finally being a Mother._ She knew she'd have to sell it to her co-workers that she wanted Bonnie jailed, but still she couldn't fight the sadness that was filling her soul, the sadness she had to blame herself for.

Carmelita curled her arms to her chest and ignored the constant buzz of officers around the office.

"He must have known she had taken off today?" One detective said.

"How? He must have been watching her!" Another retorted.

"Isn't he dead?" One more added commentary.

Carmelita stood slowly and the room quieted at her rejoining the force both mentally and physically. "It wasn't Sly Cooper."

All the detectives in the room froze and raised their brows with suspicion; something they'd never even thought would come out of her mouth. She blamed everything on Sly Cooper. Hell when the coffee pot in the break room broke she was cursing his name as if he'd had something to do with it. Now they all stood in her corner office, Cooper's calling card in her safe and now is the time Carmelita Fox decided to defend the very man who was the bane of her existence? She felt their suspicion and she glanced up and around the room at each officer, her expression grew angry, she felt a fire in her that she let die that morning except this time it burned with fierce passion to find this Fox. She was herself again, except in a new light with a new purpose.

"I want police everywhere, eyes everywhere. Down all the riverbanks and in the most remote allies we've got a thief to find." Everyone stood in awe, "Are you going to sit around all day or do your job?"

"Pardon me but if not Sly Cooper," Detective Peter Pig questioned her in between bites of a donut, "who exactly are we looking for?"

Carmelita strode over to her safe and plucked out the calling card of the notorious Sly Cooper. "Get the best men we've got. We're looking for Bonnie Cooper."

The precinct was in awe, realizing that finally after all these years Bonnie was the daughter of the very person that Carmelita wanted to bring to justice. This lawful cop, who wouldn't even search a partner's desk without a warrant, had broken the law. Now her daughter was following in her father's footsteps. What drama, what gossip! It spread around the headquarters like wildfire, but no one confronted Carmelita, she had the same rage she once did the same kind that if you got in the way of back then you'd wind up broken one way or another on the floor, except this time it was fueled by her very own daughter.

Carmelita walked down to Corporal's office, she didn't hesitate because she needed to be fast and brief, and she was on the hunt again. "I am demanding for my Captain's title back."

He looked up from his newspaper and pushed his glasses back to his eyes since they had fallen down his snout. He was a beefy guy. Pure bred German Sheppard clearly made for his job. "You gotta lot of nerve making a demand like that Fox. I could have you arrested. Allowing a thief to escape all those years back?"

"Corporal I made a mistake, I had planned to book him but come morning the rotten thief was gone. I was handcuffed. I didn't plan on Bonnie, but she happened. You have to understand I did everything to keep her away from this. A good girl. Mommy's good little girl. Do you realize how heartbroken I am? I need to find her and it has to be me. She'll never understand or listen if it's anyone else."

He put his paper flat on his desk and stood. Buttoning the jacket he was wearing and strode around the desk. "I understand Carmelita, but you're too close to this case as it is, I can't have you running around destroying the precinct's reputation because now your goose chase has suddenly evolved into a daddy-daughter-mommy issue chase. Go home and let us sweep the streets, she couldn't have gotten out of Paris. If you need to find her for your sake, then do what any other mother would do, go home and grieve that your daughter is missing let us handle it."

Carmelita was outraged, she threw the swiftest punch she could and made sure it hit him right in the face. Immediately he fell backward and crashed into his desk. "All due respect Corporal, take that as my letter of resignation." Carmelita threw her badge at his feet and walked out. Several secretaries and fellow policemen went to his aid as she flung his office door wide open.

Nothing was going to stop her now, she needed to find her daughter, and if no one was with her they were against her. She was on her own.

*On the streets Paris.*

Bonnie stuck to the shadows, avoiding the main streets and highways. She snuck down the block where her house was, only once she'd noticed her mother leave and she strode to the backyard just behind the fence in a deep enough hole was the briefcase of files and her father's hat and cane. She retrieved the items and left them at the back door of the house. She climbed up the usual drainage pipe leading to the balcony and swiftly moved to her room. She packed a backpack with some disguises and regular clothes. Then she strode to her mother's room, thieving whatever money she could find and pawning anything that looked valuable she stuffed a backpack to the brim then peaked in her mother's closet.

She saw several of those yellow jackets she wore, and those godforsaken navy blue pants. Bonnie looked deeper and found a pair of gray pants that strongly resembled the ones sly wore, she figured they would be useful. She slipped them on and felt like she was becoming more and more like her father. She rummaged for anything else and realized that her mother's wardrobe was kind of bland. Bonnie changed into a decently put together disguise and once again headed down the drainage pipe. She stuffed the files in her new backpack and ditched the briefcase in the garbage can. The cane was harder to hide and she realized she couldn't fit it in the backpack.

Her choices were limited but she wouldn't ditch the cane for the life of her, so it was back to sticking to alley ways and avoiding citizens. She didn't have to worry about school anymore because she had dropped out just this morning after she found out. On the basic premise that going to school would be kind of foolish and they would expect her there.

A different thought plagued her mind _where will I stay tonight?_ The sun was setting rapidly and she was at the moment homeless. However she knew her first hit was happening tonight, she could stay there once the place closed up.

That same boutique that she'd bought an entire wardrobe at when she was younger closed at 9 judging by the time and a rough guess Bonnie assumed it to be around 7:30pm. _Okay,_ she thought to herself _first step to survival, find food._ She knew just where to hit and who to steal food from. Her thieving skills have to start at the bottom, but she's determined to get better.

*Kaine Island*

" _The signs point to the same thief that has been missing so many years ago…"_ A television announcer stated. " _Allegedly it is a new thief with the same calling card as the notorious Sly Cooper…"_

A voice downstairs interrupted. "Morgan, come down please it's time for dinner!"

"Hang on mom there's something cool on the TV." She retorted

"Morgan if you do not come down here this instant!"

"It's the news mom! Someone thinks Sly Cooper is back, well a copycat Sly Cooper!"

There was no response just ruffled footprints climbing up the steps, the door to the study swung open and Penelope walked in and abruptly stopped to watch the newscast.

" _They say the hit came early during the day but Paris Police Department is having issues scraping together clues. The office was owned by Inspector Fox and the calling card was allegedly left by a sixteen year old girl who goes by the name Bonnie Cooper…"_

Penelope looked baffled and shocked, "Bently, you might wanna get up here and see this!"

Morgan heard the sound of her dads jet powered wheel chair flying up the stairs, "What is going on I'm ready for dinner?" He said with his permanently nasal congested voice.

He fell silent as the news reporter continued.

"… _Inspector Carmelita Fox is denying comment and has resigned from the police force. Other members of the force commented on her behalf claiming her daughter to be the one who's broken into the safe and stolen the Intel. Sources say that Bonnie Cooper is a product of Carmelita and she grew an obsession with Sly Cooper based on her mother's persistent search of him for all her life, while others claim that Inspector Fox and Sly Cooper are in cahoots. If any information is found please contact the Paris Police Department. Be on the lookout and prepare yourselves. If Sly Cooper is back there is a master thief roaming the streets of Paris once more…"_

The newscast went to commercial, Penelope and Bently just looked at each other.

"Could he be?" Penelope asked.

"No, I mean I don't think so. It's not probable." Bently began calculating his sources. "Alive alone is questionable, but the possibility of him in Paris is absolutely, positively improbable!"

"His cane, it went missing all those years back!" She retorted.

"A reasonable retort Penelope, but this could be a copycat. Inspector Fox having a daughter seems improbable to. Yet given the circumstance it will have to be prosecuted and researched in much greater depth. I'll get researching possibilities as soon as we finish dinner!"

Morgan sat their dumbfounded, sure she'd inherited her father's brain and mother's distinguished ability to fly planes, but she couldn't compute this in her head. I don't get it is it Sly Cooper? She'd heard so much about him and she was raised off of tales and adventures they've shared from her father and occasionally her mom. If this was Sly Cooper, why wouldn't they go see him? Why contemplate and research it's the calling card clearly! It has to be a  
Cooper at least. Why wait on research? This Cooper person whether it be this alleged Bonnie or Sly, it was worth investigating and worth investigating up close.

Penelope and Bently began they're descent down the steps discussing possibilities, Morgan trailed behind wondering why they don't just go find out for themselves. Bently went on about computing algorithms to track Sly's sighting history over the last sixteen years. Penelope said she would begin preparations on the safe to make sure that it was complex and more challenging to enter. If there was a copycat Cooper around, it wouldn't be long before they've got incentive to go looking for the Cooper legacy.

Her parents seemed to think the worst, barely eating because there was too much to discuss, theories, ideas, beliefs, all of them circulating around the idea that it had to be an imposter a phony, a copycat, or in this case copy-coon. Morgan let out a smirk at her ingenious pun but quickly pushed aside her quick wit and began thinking of possibilities.

It was entirely possible that Sly could have a daughter, he went missing sixteen years ago and they knew he wasn't really dead then because his cane went missing shortly after that. He left her father a way into the vault of the Cooper Legacy, and both of her parents have been here since then. She had never been off of Kaine Island not even once, in her fifteen years of life! If there was a Sly Cooper Jr out there, it was worth investigating.

After dinner Bently and Penelope got to work they first started their search into Sly and possible sightings over the years. They came across countless trip vouchers in the name of Carmelita Fox, they had come to the realization that she was barely in Paris the last sixteen years, apart from getting demoted six years back, it didn't make sense for her to have a child she was never around and the vouchers were only in her name.

"Is it possible Sly is using an alias?" Penelope asked.

Bently shrugged and typed swiftly on his keyboard and began hacking into databases worldwide to see where exactly Carmelita went, "It's possible, but it wouldn't make sense, it's not like Sly to pretend to be someone else, his jobs were always done as himself. Why start an alias now."

Penelope thought profoundly to herself, "But Carmelita couldn't have a daughter, and if she does it can't be possible for it to be with Sly. She would have had to have sent the child off somewhere with all the traveling she's done! Just 8 years ago she took 72 trips in a span of a year and a half. It just doesn't make any sense."

Morgan decided to stop listening at that point. Why was it so unbelievable for Sly to have had a kid? What sense does that make? Just because Carmelita was never really in Paris according to them, doesn't mean she didn't have a kid. Sure she must have felt rejected to no end, it makes sense. Why are her parents denying such possibilities?

Morgan might have lived with her parents all her life, but she was neglected just the same. There was always something technological to do and someone on thiefnet to be selling equipment to. She was neglected even if her parents never even left the island they resided on. She related, and she started to believe that Carmelita's daughter must be Sly's too.

She didn't want her parent's research to continue because she knew that with enough digging they'd find out that Carmelita did have a daughter, it wasn't that hard of a conclusion to come to. They just denied it for some reason. She raced to her laptop and researched furiously, she scrolled through months and months of birth certificates dating back 16 years in all of the hospitals in Paris databases she key worded Sly Cooper and Carmelita Fox and found what she was looking for. She printed it out and ran down the steps through the hidden bookshelf passage down the hall and into her parent's lab.

"Stop everything she shouted!" They looked up only briefly, realizing that wasn't going to help anything she raised her voice, "SLY COOPER HAD A KID, LOOK HERE." Her parents both pointed to the big screen above the main corridor of the lab, the same document she was holding was up on the screen, she felt defeated but somewhat annoyed that they had figured it out that Bonnie was indeed real and was indeed Sly's child.

"All that's left now is to take her down." Bently said.

"But why not recruit her?" Morgan asked.

Bently turned from his computer, "Morgan we are working with the assumption that Sly never knew he was a father. Bonnie isn't a priority right now. We need to know if Sly is alive and so we are centering our focus on that. Getting Sly back is the first step and then we take down Bonnie."

Morgan felt shattered, Bonnie was following her father's footsteps not trying to dishonor it or cause harm it was blatantly obvious, and she was a Cooper she just didn't get the chance to be. From what she had heard of Sly he was an easy going kind of raccoon. He didn't sweat the big stuff and often made light of it. Her father on the other hand needed to to prepare for every possible outcome, he had plans of backup plans and contingencies for almost everything. However Morgan wanted to embrace this Bonnie Cooper in the sense that welcomes her to the alleged "Cooper Gang" or what's left of it anyway. Who knows maybe Bonnie wanted to find Sly as much as her parents did now. While her parents searched the internet looking for any remnants of Sly, Morgan was going to go to Paris in search of Bonnie.

She had an idea.

*The alley ways of Paris.*

The night had officially set in. Bonnie had thieved a whole bunch of baked goods off of a bakery before they closed up shop. She did them a favor anyway; they usually throw out the stuff at the end of the night. Now she had a gloriously big bag of muffins bagels and cookies to last her the night. She stuck to the alley ways heavily and found herself checking her back every so often. She kept her father's cane with her at all times and used it to grab hold of things and help her swing over fences occasionally. She was getting good with it and she figured at this point it had to be genetics.

After a few blocks and climbing up pipes and over some buildings, Bonnie reached the back of the boutique store. She'd hidden her backpack behind the dumpster a few hours earlier just to make traveling slightly less complicated. She plopped down behind the garbage dump and feasted to her hearts content. Nibbling on some bagels but gorging down the muffins and cookies until she couldn't fit them down anymore. She then stalked from a distance the backside of the boutique she heard voices inside and saw lights eventually being shut off. She waited for a solid hour after she knew everyone was gone just in case someone forgot something or had to come back.

It was getting kind of chili in the night air, but Bonnie stood her ground behind the dumpster. The clouds that rolled over the city all day and made her think of impending rain began to rumble. She knew rain was coming and that it was coming soon. She grabbed her back pack and cane then rushed under the awning over the back door of the boutique. Her hands worked feverishly at the lock, applying knowledge she'd learned from years of practice. She made haste but was also careful. Eventually she heard the familiar click and the lock opened with ease. She pushed the door open and raced inside as she heard the inevitable downfall of the thunderstorm.

She took a moment to take in the boutique itself. Little girls 'clothes lined the front of the right wall and young woman attire was all along the left. She noticed the fabrics in the employee's room too and saw some striking nice ones. She ditched her disguise in the garbage and began working.

She snaked around the store for a royal blue top and found the most perfect sport sweater V-neck. It was form fitting and fit around her nicely. She began sneaking around again, careful not to get to close to the front windows. She lurked around the back right wall where all the various forms of shoes were. She searched and couldn't find what she was looking for. That didn't stop her though. She knew there was a store dedicated directly to shoes on the other side of the fence out back. It'd just be another picked lock and a quick search.

Piece by piece she modeled her costume as close to her fathers as she could get it. The end result wound up looking similar to the picture of her father's that she'd taken out of the file. She had a blue V-neck sweater with a yellow undershirt. She used the same gray pants she had pawned out of her mother's closet and she plucked her dads hat out of the old backpack and placed it proudly on her head. She rounded up some blue gloves careful to pick the right shade and she wound up stealing one of the boutiques small red backpacks that they had simply by chance. She stuffed the files inside along with the jewelry and money she'd pawned off of her mother. She also decided stealing a few wigs wouldn't hurt in case she needed to be publicly disguised. The last thing she did was break into the register, stealing whatever money was inside. Bonnie was going to need cash if she was going to need to travel. Everything else would have to go into the dumpster. She thought of it as throwing away what was left of Bonnie Fox.

After a quick hop skip and cane swing over the fence out back she was faced with yet another lock on another door to the shoe store. Bonnie was perplexed by this one. She didn't know where to begin considering it wasn't your usual lock. It had fingerprint identification and was much more complex than anything she'd ever seen. She was about to touch it when she heard a voice and immediately jumped and tried to be alert.

"Don't touch that!" it said. Bonnie turned around and swung her cane without even seeing anything first. "Easy there, you must be Bonnie. Finding you was easier than I thought it was going to be. Your style of fleeing is quite recognizable to intelligible people. You left a trail behind that the cops will be following soon. I suggest we get out of here now while we still can."

Bonnie was quite perplexed, who was this strange little mouse like girl. Why was she talking to her and how did she even know who she was? "We? Who are you?"

"Oh excuse me, my name is Morgan, I'm a…friend. I am tech savvy and I know that one touch and need I add not the right one could set off alarms immediately alerting the police. Here let me get at it." Morgan walked over to the digital lock and start working quickly, in no time at all the fingerprint scanner turned green and the door unlocked. "Come on in."

Bonnie was skeptical but she didn't refuse the help, she needed to find durable blue boots. "Judging by your costume you're missing a few pieces. I did a full scan of this place and found that they have blue combat boots that should match your outfit pretty well in a box in the back room." Morgan went off to retrieve the box and came back with several sizes. "Take your pick."

Bonnie was astounded but she didn't argue or counter this person. She seemed like she genuinely wanted to help. Morgan continued, "I also tracked your escape pattern from the wreckage at the bakery downtown. I calculated the most logical path and realized with the things you'd stolen from your mother's house that you were trying to build a suit kind of like your fathers. My calculations indicated that you'd be missing a piece that you wouldn't be able to retrieve in your route so I got it for you at the masquerade store just a few blocks over before I found you here." Morgan reached into her pocket and pulled out a black mask as Bonnie tied the laces of her new boots. She looked at Morgan completely baffled.

"Listen, you've got to get better at this, and I'm gonna help you. I have ample knowledge with technology and I've got our way out of Paris if you'll trust me." Morgan said.

"Thanks for your help, uh, Morgan," Bonnie said scratching her head. As she took the mask and tied it around her head. "But I don't exactly understand how you know me or why you're helping me. I don't even know you, for all I know you're an undercover cop trying to stall me. I have to go now."

Morgan reached into the satchel she'd been carrying. She pulled out a book that had the same Sly Cooper logo on it that she'd seen so many times before. "You may not know me, but you know my father, Bently. He worked with your dad. This is my proof, this book it…" she said handing over _The Thievius Racoonus_ to Bonnie "it belongs to a Cooper."

Once more Bonnie was baffled, Bently the guy she'd read about in the files? He had a daughter? How odd, Bonnie didn't know what to make of the book either. She'd read up on it in her mom's files but she never thought she'd get to see it. How did this Morgan even have it? There was so much she needed answered. Morgan was starting to look like a smart option.

"Now we've got to go, we can chit chat later. My indicators are telling me that police are heading up town and are a few minutes out from this area we have to move." Morgan said as she led Bonnie outback. Morgan took out two metal boxes from her backpack and pressed the center of each one. Two jetpacks unfolded in her hands. "Come on Cooper," she said. "My jet is parked by the Eiffel Tower!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Could it be?

Bonnie sat tight inside Morgan's jet. Still completely baffled by what had just happened. When they'd put on the jet packs and flown off toward the Eiffel Tower the cops were closing in on the street where they had been because, they were tipped anonymously by a resident in one of the nearby buildings. Even though she was still extremely skeptical she thanked her lucky stars that Morgan had found her. When they landed by the tower Bonnie had her guard up immediately, she saw nothing of a plane in sight. No one did. The passersby's that were off in the distance admiring the lights just looked dazed like tourists normally did here.

She almost fell to her knees when she saw Morgan press a few buttons on her wrist watch and the plane appeared in front of them. Completely out of the blue, the landing pad came down with another press and Morgan rushed on with haste, she turned to look at Bonnie and let out an agitated sigh. "Bonnie it doesn't take long to notice a jet just sitting next to the Eiffel Tower, people will get suspicious so can you gape at its awesomeness inside please…" Sirens wailed in the distance once more and shook Bonnie out of her daze. "We've been noticed come on!" Morgan rushed inside to the cockpit and began pushing buttons quickly and with precision, careful not to press the wrong one. Bonnie gripped her cane a little tighter and held the Thievius Racoonus closer to her side as she ran for it. She jumped up the landing pad as it started to close, the police cars closing in fast.

The last she had heard was a loudspeaker demanding Bonnie to stand down. She didn't, in fact she actually went up, into the sky, in a jet, with a strange girl who claims to be her ally, claims to know her father, and also claims that her father's teammate is her father. So does that make her family or just a friend? Bonnie didn't know. She wanted answers and took the time to get some.

She sat in the co-pilot seat as Morgan manned the plane. She had put the cloaking device on again so no one could see it in the sky. So many questions to ask, so many things she wanted to know.

But where to start? Bonnie decided to start out small, the basics. "So," she began. "How did you know about me?"

Morgan kept her eyes on the skies, and her expression unchanging. "You made international headlines. Not every day 'Sly Cooper' is back in action, or at least a copy-coon of his."

"I'm not a raccoon like him, but I didn't know it made national news." she replied

"No it was international, as in worldly. You made headlines in places far beyond just Paris my friend. Bonnie sat up in her seat, clearly unsure of why she'd done that. Morgan pressed the autopilot button and turned her chair to face Bonnie. "You got to understand Bonnie, the world thinks Sly Cooper dead. You not only left his calling card in that safe but you were seen with his cane and hat. Now you even have a full costume to match his. Sly Cooper has made quite a name for himself, becoming a master thief and all but you've got to understand after what happened on Kaine Island he vanished. He disappeared into the shadows he wanted to the world to forget him and his legacy, he was too big a thief not to recognize."

Bonnie sat back in her chair and stared out the window of the plane as Morgan continued. "Some say he suffered from amnesia, others claim him dead. No one knows for sure now a day I mean he only checks in with my father every few years or so but he hasn't done that in I'd say at least a good five or six."

Bonnie threw her hand up to stop Morgan from rambling. "Wait a second; you're saying Sly Cooper is alive?"

Morgan shrugged. "It's likely."

"All these years my mother was right." She said putting her face in her hands and resting her elbows on her knees. "Oh God what have I done?"

"Slow down there Bon-Bon." Morgan said clearly bringing her back to the conversation, the nickname had obviously ticked her off which is what she was hoping for. "I said he hasn't checked in with my dad for about six years now. We don't know if he's alive currently. However for most of your life so far he has been."

Bonnie tensed. All her mother's goose chases. The trips all over the world? Were they all for nothing? She stopped searching six years ago. Around the same time Morgan said that he stopped checking in. Is there a correlation? It's highly possible, but Bonnie didn't want to disclose that information right now, she was still quite skeptical.

"Anyway," she continued walking to the back of the cockpit and opening the door leading to the main seating area. "I've got her in autopilot now she should take us to our destination. Come sit back here and anything I can tell you that will help settle your nerves or bring you up to speed I am here to help."

Bonnie thought about the offer, when she walked up to the cockpit there were some nice lounge couches out there, a fridge which she hoped had refreshments and maybe talking would be nice. She never really had a friend before, could she trust Morgan? So far she's saved her tail which should be enough reason to. However she needed to know for her own sake at least where they were going. "Where is autopilot taking us?"

Morgan smiled as she shifted her weight onto her right leg and tilted her head the same, "You really don't trust me yet do you?" Bonnie sarcastically smirked and shrugged her shoulders to indicate that she didn't mean any harm by it she just needed to be prepared. "We're going to the outback in Australia, I've got a cousin there and I've alerted his com-watch that I've got you and that we're coming."

Bonnie stood a little bit at ease and followed Morgan into the lounge area of the plane, "I don't remember Bently's file saying he has a sibling."

"He doesn't" Morgan retorted. "Ever find anything in those files on a guy named Murray"

*Kaine Island four hours prior*

"Bently searched the internet with such precision he didn't leave a URL unturned. He had six different computers running at once and they scanned about 600 sites a minute each searching desperately for some sign or trace of Sly Cooper. On top of that he had 5 other computers on the other side of the lab scanning the location of everyone on thiefnet and tracking their progress and certain stories/stolen goods they were buying.

Bently assumed he could attract Sly Cooper by auctioning off The Thievius Racoonus, it would attract a lot of attention but it just might be enough to draw Sly Cooper back from the dead. It was their only chance even if it did have to insult his and Sly's friendship it was all Bently could think of.

He began setting up a bargaining page for the book when Penelope came bounding in the room panting and leaning on a spinney chair for balance to regain her breath. Bently looked away from his computer, "Penelope what's wrong? Do you have the book?"

She still hadn't regained her breath, she was extremely winded but she had to tell Bently, She'd run up 7 flights of steps from the vault because the elevator was jammed. She shook her head denying having it in possession.

Bently wheeled his chair over to her and she sat in the spinney chair, she began to lower her heart rate and breath at a mild pace, not fully normal but somewhat decent enough to talk. "When I got there," she paused to breathe, "I opened the vault and it was gone." She let out a sad sigh and her heart sank for more reasons than one and she began to cry.

"Bently," she said in between muffled cries and sniffles. "Morgan took it." Bently pushed a few buttons on his wheelchair and shot back to the computer, he pulled up the security footage and saw his very daughter hacking through his coded vault, the vault that he'd showed her how to get into for emergency purposes only, and thieving the book. When she reached the top floor of the lab she had taken out the cable of the elevator launching it to the bottom floor. That explains why it was broken. He watched as she went directly to the hangar where all the fighter planes, boats, cars, and private jets were stored. She appeared to have been tinkering on one of the luxury planes for a few short minutes before he noticed that the tracking chip that was implanted in all their modes of transportation was removed and left of the ground.

Morgan had turned on the cloaking device and opened the hangar doors and flew out with ease. Bently couldn't find a reason as to why she decided to do all of this, but he definitely knew where she was going.

"Penelope don't fret." He muttered through his nasally voice. It wasn't hard to hear the disappointment but he tried his best to push aside personal and emotional feelings for the sake of the mission at hand. "I've got a plan." He said.

He began clicking and typing away as Penelope picked her crying head up and strode over to the computer Bently was working on. "What do you propose we do?" She said wiping her nose on her sleeve and drying her eyes.

"We don't have to trick Sly into thinking we're going to 'auction' The Thievius Raccoonus at all." He gave a few more clicks and typed a few more words then turned the computer screen to face Penelope, "We're going to draw him out because he's no longer the master thief. Morgan stole the book, which means Sly's going to have to steal it back for the sake of his title, and the fact that it belongs to him and the fact that it's his entire heritage. If Sly is still connected to thiefnet in his off time, which my suspicions firmly believe are true this should have him back here in no time at all."

Penelope read the want ad on thiefnet…

 _STOLEN: THE THIEVIUS RACCOONUS!_

 _REWARD OFFERED!_

"But will it really work?" she asked.

"Remember when I told you about the Fiendish Five way back when? All of that was because of this book...If this won't work, it will be safe to assume that Sly is actually dead.

*a Jet heading southwest*

Bonnie found herself laughing so hard that she fell out of the lounge chair. Her hat fell off in the process and she knocked over the tray of food next to her and it spilled all over the carpet. This caused Morgan to wail in laughter even louder and she herself eventually rolled to the floor. The laughing continued for a few solid moments and for the first time in a while Bonnie felt a lot like the person she wanted to be.

"So you really just cut the cable for the elevator?" She snorted through laughs.

"I had to," Morgan replied letting out a giggle. "I had to buy myself some time. At least I waited until I was already up to the main floor!"

"That is great! I wonder if they found out!"

"By now my dad must've but he can't find me, I made sure of that." She let a satisfied smile sneak across her face as she brushed her blonde curls out of the way. Bonnie grew less skeptical of Morgan by the minute and was intrigued by all of her stories. The laughter eventually subsided and she began to clean the floor of her mess starting with plucking her hat up and placing it back on her head. "No! No stop!" Morgan said regaining her breath, she stood up and walked over to a panel on the wall and dialed a few numbers. Less than 5 seconds later two robot maids came out from back of the plane and thoroughly began cleaning up the mess she made.

Bonnie got off of the floor and her jaw dropped. "This Plane is just incredible!"

Morgan shrugged it off. "It's okay I guess, I mean it just feels normal to me. I've never been off the island before. With you I'm starting to realize what's normal for me isn't exactly normal for everyone else."

Bonnie smiled, "yeah trust me I can relate to that." She sat back down as the robotic maids finished up and she was plagued with a thought that wiped the smile off her face and replaced it with curiosity. "Hey Morgan, why did you decide to come find me, and steal this book nonetheless?"

Morgan strode over to sit next to Bonnie; she grabbed her hand and met her gaze. "I saw something in the newscast that my parents didn't. Potential. You've heisted your own mother and took up the name that you didn't realize was your birth right until earlier today. That was courage, that was bravery, something your father would have done. My parents were less than enthused about your existence no matter how shocking it was to them. They decided taking you out was a priority but not one that needed to happen right away. They needed to find Sly, if alive that is, to arrange to have him steal back his hat and cane and restore his name. I saw it differently, you are just like every other Cooper in that book, and the only difference is that you never had the chance to explore that until today. My parents didn't really understand that." She paused briefly and looked down toward the rug. "They don't understand much of anything that goes beyond airplanes, drones and hacking into things. I see you as a member of the Cooper gang, the next generation. Instead of staying stuck in the same routine like we've all been for some of us since birth, it would be a chance to reincarnate the Cooper Legacy. I got the book because I figured if I couldn't get you to come with me I could at least get you to take it and add your part to the legacy too. I do want more than that though and I'm glad you came aboard. I think there is potential for this gang to be headstrong again except with you, Bonnie, not Sly leading us all forward."

Bonnie tried to process all that Morgan had said. She took comfort in the fact that Morgan didn't shun her immediately and decided to take her own call. It seemed like something they had to bond over. They had both taken different routes and believed different things than their parents, well known parents that is. There wasn't a whole lot they had in common, but it was what bonded them together. Bonnie let her thoughts wander off as she turned from Morgan and pulled her hands away. "Thank you Morgan,"

Morgan pulled her head back up and turned it to face Bonnie as she continued. "Without you my legacy would have ended long before it even began."

Morgan shrugged and let a small smirk escape, "My father would have done it for Sly, I'm only doing what I think my father would have done back then." He words implied friendship in its greatest form, trust. Bonnie let that warm her spirit and silently rejoiced in it.

Bonnie stood and looked out the window at the world below her, breezing by so fast. The plane was lost in the clouds so it was hard to create a visual of it all. She crossed her arms and held them close to her chest. "Have you ever met him?" she asked hopefully, her eyes fell shut and she finally released the tears she hadn't realized she's been fighting all day.

Morgan stood and strolled over to Bonnie, placing an arm around her attempting to comfort her. "Once," She began, "I was about nine at the time and it was during his last check in with us. He talked to my father about how He thought he'd seen the last of Carmelita for a while. All I remember at the time was that she was with him for almost all of her trip. He said that after a few months she was demoted and had to return to Paris. She was going to return to him once given the chance because she had something big that he needed to know, it was more than words could describe. My guess now is that that news was you."

Bonnie met her eyes and she could see the sorrow and pain inside of them. "My mom was going to bring us to Sly Cooper?"

Morgan shook her head. "I'm not sure of the gory details It was about six years ago. I do know that your father did bring someone else along with him during this checkup with my father though. It was a boy, a very young boy. He looked just like Sly Cooper and he was merely a baby. I'd say he was born a few weeks before. All I know is that his name was Clyde and that it was his protégé apparently."

Bonnie's heart dropped. Could it have been possible? Could her mother have actually found her father and spent those months all those years back with him? She was gone long enough to find him and sustain a pregnancy, she was gone a solid 7 months before she was demanded to return. It was entirely possible. Was Bonnie a sister? Her mother had another child with Sly Cooper, and she was willing to bet her life on the fact that this Clyde didn't know of her mother's, or her existence, the same way she hadn't of his or Sly's.

Bonnie's expression grew cold. "Morgan, how fast till we reach this cousin of yours?"

Morgan replied, "I'd say about 15 more hours. We should get some sleep." She said fiddling with the digital pad on the wall. Immediately the lounge chairs sank into the floor and two fluffy beds came down from the ceiling of the plane. Morgan dimmed the lights and climbed into the bed closest to her. "You should rest up." She said when she saw Bonnie standing by the window once more. "It's been a long day for all of us."

Bonnie couldn't fight her exhaustion anymore both mentally and physically, she climbed into the bed and felt her muscles release the tension they'd built up all day. Not only did she find out she had a father, but now a brother. The worst part was all of this was kept from her. She was kept from her father and brother apparently and vice versa. She saw the common enemy here, Carmelita Fox. Her own mother how could she? Bonnie felt the tears escape, the thoughts raced through her mind until she finally fell asleep from exhaustion. With one thought on her mind, she was going to find her family.

*Elsewhere*

His thiefnet was blowing up with one ad particularly… He had seen it a hundred times now and couldn't believe it still. His legacy his heritage, just stolen. He turned over to Clyde who was climbing up the furniture and jumping off pretending to be a police officer. He rolled his eyes; this protégé of his wasn't off to a good start.

He grabbed his blue sweatshirt and gloves and threw some clothes for Clyde in a bag then scooped him up in his arms. "Where we going daddy?" Clyde said.

"To find my Book, my cane, and my hat and take down this copier."

Clyde didn't understand a word of what he said, but Sly Cooper knew. He flicked off his apartment light in Jersey City and didn't know how long it would take before they got back, part of him felt like they'd never be back. Part of him didn't care, he was heading back to his life the first step he had to take was get back to Kaine Island. Sixteen years in the dark and it was high time the world asked the real Sly Cooper to please stand up.

*Author's Note!*

I'm open to constructive criticism because I'm new at writing fanfiction. I started with my OC's but I plan to write stories about the Night Carmelita and Sly met up all those years ago, maybe even branch into some knew legacy stories, it's all in the works currently, but input is always welcome! I planned all along to introduce a son of Sly and Carmelita as well and I wasn't entirely sure where but with the way I was writing this is seemed like a good idea because I need him to be a certain age! I have so many ideas for this story line and I am open to suggestions as well! I promise I'll put out chapters as often as I can! Keep in mind here I am a full time college student and have other priorities but I enjoy writing this story so much I'm going to try to keep it coming as often as I can! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Outback Stakes Up

*Paris*

Carmelita felt foolish as she sat in her living room. She should have put the pieces together that Bonnie would return home for at some point, it just turns out the one time her daughter did, was during the time that she was back at the office. Her place… well former place of employment. Now officers searched the house for clues and she couldn't even legally help because she was out of the job. She looked for a distraction and flicked on her television, surprised by her daughter's face being plastered all over the news. She followed the story as the news anchor explained the details of the criminal Bonnie Cooper as she sat in her living room chair baffled watching her daughter jump into an unidentified aircraft with a complete stranger.

She found herself leaning closer to the TV as if hoping she could actually see where it went. Hoping her daughter would get off the plane by chance. She felt dark inside, miserable even. There was so much she needed to answer too. So much she needed to apologize for. Now she didn't have the chance. Her heart sank. She went through everything in her head that Bonnie needed to know. Knowing she might never get that chance.

She thought about Sly, the father of her children. How he had had to take her son because it would be suspicious if she returned to Paris with a son all those years back. She had been so sure that Sly and her son Clyde weren't real simply because the world around her drilled it in her head. She didn't know what to do. She had given up her outrageous goose chase just this morning, for her daughter's sake.

Something in her head clicked. She shut off her television as two police officers came down the steps and into her living room. "She took off with most of your valuables Carmelita." She remained un-phased, she knew this already. She called the cops merely to be spiteful to her former boss. Sensing her calmness the other detective needed to add, "But you already knew that, and so our work is about done here. We'll take the evidence we have and bring it back to the precinct and let you know if we find her."

As they turned to leave her brother came in carrying a to-go bag of food. Carmelita stood and walked to the kitchen to meet him there. "Eat up," he said tossing the bag on her kitchen island. She looked up at him clearly annoyed.

"Thanks," she said as she turned toward the foyer, "But no thanks."

He rolled his eyes and followed her as she walked up the stairs to her room. "You don't do anyone any good, namely Bonnie, by losing general care for your own wellbeing!"

Carmelita turned so fast and gave him the coldest look she could muster. "Do not use her as an excuse to bend me to your will." She walked on and opened her closet door as Carmelo sat on her bed. "I want her back more than anyone else, and I just can't be a police officer to do that."

Carmelo rubbed his forehead. "Carmelita I know this is awful, but you can't lose your rational right now. You've got to keep your head."

She froze where she stood in her closet and let her head sink into defeat. Her brother was right, she shouldn't lose her head, as a police woman, well a former police woman, she had to keep her head on straight. However, she wasn't a police woman anymore, she was a mother. She had a little girl out there who could be anywhere, and that possible location wasn't just Paris anymore it was the entire world. All thoughts of being rational were long gone. She had to broaden her horizons once more. She had no choice but to embrace the hunter inside her, the same one who found Sly Cooper six years back.

She knew that she would be crossing lines this time, unlawful ones. However she didn't have a choice any more. She knew that embracing that part meant that she would have to become the hunter, the predator who would begin by searching through the grey areas. Start at the very bottom. The place that had minimal connections to her first target, and she would work her way up from there. She knew exactly what to do.

Carmelita rummaged through an old trunk in her closet and pulled out a slim fit evening gown that hadn't seen the light of day since she danced with Sly Cooper so many years ago while undercover in India. She put on a fake smile and walked out of her closet to meet her brother.

"I'm not losing my rational; I'm just going out tonight to take my mind off of things." She said as she tossed the dress on her bed. Her brother followed her as she walked to the bathroom down the hall. Carmelo again followed and she knew her only hope was to lose him. "Look Carmelo, I'm just going out to dance, maybe meet someone I don't know. I can't handle all this right now."

He shook his head, "Understood, but Carmelita you can't just bury it under drinks with a stranger and dancing? Where could you even go to do that anyway? It's so unlike you."

She smiled as she opened the cabinet under the sink. She pretended to look for something as she pulled one of her guns loose from the roof of cabinet. She shrugged as her brother crossed his arms. She silently prayed he'd forgive her someday, but right now she had no choice, this needed to get done. She needed her little girl. "Could you hand me that towel behind you?" He turned to look for it but nothing was there, when he was in the middle of returning to her gaze the hard end of her gun smacked him in the face. He instantly collapsed and a decent sized bump was forming on his head. "Forgive me brother." She said as she dragged him to the futon outside of the bathroom in the hall. "But I've got a night club to get to. You know the one across town."

She used all her strength to plop him onto the futon. Only after she was quite winded and slightly sore did she recover from the attempt and retrieve a blanket from the linen closet. She placed it over her brother, feeling sorry for having to do this. She knew she wouldn't be back for a while, if her plan actually worked. It had to, it couldn't not. She didn't have room for error. There was so much to get done, she had thought. She strolled back into her room and toward the dress that she'd discarded on the bed. She quickly changed and put her hair in a fancy updo. Lastly, she strapped her favorite red electric plasma gun into her garter the was laced around her right leg. "I've got a date with Dimitri."

She flicked off her bedroom light and headed out.

*A plane over Australia*

Bonnie's eyes opened and for a moment she didn't know where she was. Part of her was expecting to see the same old pale pink bedroom she woke up in the day before. She could have sworn there would be that same old oak dresser that had nothing but a hair brush and dirty T-shirts thrown on top of it, part of her wanted to see that plush purple carpet that coated her floor and as much as she hated it, she also wanted to see that big bright window that had the most extravagant view of her neighbor's house, but only when she looked around the private jet did she realize the gravity of yesterday. She felt it all sink back in.

 _Get it together,_ she thought. Nothing was the same and she knew it. She potentially had a brother now, her father was Sly Cooper and she didn't even know if he was alive. Lastly, to top off the list of unfortunate things in her life, her mother had been lying to her the whole time for her whole life about everything. She sat up straight in the bed and pushed her thoughts aside because she could feel her tears forming behind her eyes. She turned to her right and saw that Morgan's bed was empty.

Given that she still was weary about everything she grabbed the famous Cooper Cane and searched the plane. She peered out the window and was able to see the ground for the first time from up above. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the earth below looked dry and deserted. She assumed they were close to their target. Bonnie strolled up to the cockpit and heard Morgan speaking through some type of intercom.

"We are a solid 30 minutes out Seth! I can't just stop the plane! Can't you hurry your dad out faster?"

"Listen Morgan, he was supposed to be gone last night for some derby in Greece, but he canceled because your dad called him. Who's to say he won't take me with him when he heads back to Kaine Island." A deep male voice said, she assumed it was this cousin of Morgan.

She was about to walk through the door when she heard the talking continue. "Is it really Sly's daughter? Is she with you?"

"Yeah," Morgan said, "She's really cool Seth almost like she should have always been a part of our family. You'll like her."

"That's not why I'm asking…It wasn't exactly just your father who called in to my dad last night."

Morgan pushed a few buttons on the plane to lower its rate of speed. "What do you mean?"

Seth rolled his eyes through the video intercom. "Listen, Sly is on Kaine Island. He's alive and he rang my dad last night too. My dad's been in the garage working on the old van. He's touching up on the wing expansion your dad built a long time ago. He's flying the old Cooper van to Kaine Island, because both Sly and Bently are there, supposedly looking for this Bonnie girl that you're bringing here!"

Bonnie's eyes widened. Her father was looking for her? Did he even know about her? _Who cares Bonnie! Your dad is alive and now you know for sure! You can find him, and find out if this Clyde is your brother!_ She shook her head to brush off any excitement because she was still a little unsure of the situation as a whole. She needed to get to this Kaine Island.

She couldn't resist anymore, she pushed open the cockpit door and charged into the small room. "My father is alive?"

Seth fell silent as Morgan spoke, "Apparently so, it's something we'll have to factor into our plans but right now we need to get to Seth."

Bonnie sat in the co-piolets chair and studied Morgan's face as she flicked through buttons on the planes dash board. "Morgan I was on the hunt for him, I was going to try and find him if alive. Plus now that I have a potential brother maybe I could find them together. If I get reunited with them it's almost like we could be our own family of thieves!"

Morgan shook her head, "I know what you want to do Bonnie, it makes sense and in time we will. However we just can't do that right now. We have to assume that the Intel our parents have indicates that we were all in cahoots for a long time. No one is just going to believe we came together on our own let alone give us the chance to explain! Plus you've got a lot of progress to make if we're going to get you up to par with the Cooper legacy…"

She was cut off by a little emergency light blinking on the dashboard. "Uh oh."

"What is it?" Bonnie questioned, "Are we out of fuel?"

"No she replied, it runs on solar power. My father found us, and he's initializing an emergency stop. Seth I don't know how long I have until the com goes out." She typed extremely fast before continuing to speak. "I sent you our coordinates, we are about 40 miles out. I need you to steal your dad's car."

"You need me to what?" he said confused.

"This is no time to argue. We need you to steal the Cooper van right out from under your father. Otherwise we'll get caught and who knows what after that. Come on Seth, join our band of thieves!"

He looked away for a moment. Then back up at the video com and smiled. "I'll see what I can do. When your plane lands don't stray too far. I'll be there as fast as I can." He pushed a button on his com watch and the screen went blank. The plane began to land and the girls braced for impact. The landing was harsh and rather disastrous because it was slightly bumpy. There was nothing around in sight. Just a few simple cacti and tumble weeds not even blowing because there was no wind.

"Now what?" Bonnie said.

Morgan released the controls that she didn't realize she was gripping so tight. "We wait and hope Seth gets to us before Murray, Sly and my father do."

*The previous night.*

Carmelita strolled up to Dimitri's nightclub, her elaborate dress could only get her so far. She needed a persona an alter ego. One that would throw everyone off of her regular intentions. She knew what she had to do to get inside, she also knew how to get in to see Dimitri. Even though she didn't like it all that much.

She walked up to the front door and the guards checked her once over. _Play the part Carmelita, it's the only way._ She thought as she extended her hand out to one of the guards. "Evening fellas." She said in a seductive voice while ending with a wink. The guard on the left took her paw and kissed it through her black satin gloves. "Any chance you could let in a girl who's trying to get her kicks?" She said glancing at the other guard adjacent to the one who was holding her hand. His eyes fluttered as she blew him a kiss with her free hand. Instinctively, he checked the list. She knew that would be her downfall.

"You won't find me on that list hon." She said to the guard as she retrieved her hands and placed them on her hips. "However," She said walking toward the door. "Dimitri might want to meet me." She turned to face the guards again and turned her back to the door. "Perhaps you might have heard of me lately, my name's Bonnie Cooper, and I'm interested in meeting such a man."

The guards shook their heads in disbelief and called in the visit to Dimitri. The Bonnie Cooper everyone was hearing about on the news. She was definitely someone that he figured Sly Cooper would be on the lookout for. Granted they were merely acquaintances, snagging Bonnie Cooper could potentially get Sly to owe him another favor. She probably needed shelter and plus Dimitri saw endless possibilities with her capture, she must be too simplistic of the mind to realize exactly who he was. It made sense to let her in, he buzzed the guards allowing her entry into the club and up to his office. However he made it clear that they buy her a drink first. He had a call to make.

Carmelita took pride in the fact that she got inside the club under the alias of her own daughter, once again finding herself thanking her lucky stars that they shared the same looks. However she didn't expect the bodyguard entourage but she had to make do. "Boss man said to make sure the lady had some type of drink before heading up to his office." She really didn't want one, but she had to keep it up.

"Don't worry about me boys," she said lifting a hand under each of their snouts and gently caressing it. "I'm in no hurry to make it on up to Dimitri, I'm going to dance a little, drink a little, and have some fun." She winked at the guards when she placed her hands back on her hips and turned to face them. "Just point me in his direction and I'll find you when I'm ready to head on up." She ended on a wink.

The guards were intrigued by her flirtatious voice, "It's that elevator over there," The big burly one who was gawking open snouted at her said. The other guard was somewhat suspicious and she feared it would be her downfall.

"Don't think about sneaking around us either, the elevator up to Dimitri's needs a special key in order to operate. Only we have it."

Carmelita felt defeated but she had an idea. "Relax there big boy." She said waving off his suspicion. "I just want to dance." She said giving a pouty expression at the guard who clearly bought into her act. She strode toward him in a seductive manor, "Wanna join me big fella."

He was drooling down the side of his mouth as he looked at the suspicious one. "Please, she won't be alone this way at least."

Begrudgingly he agreed and watched as Carmelita and the buffoon headed for the dance floor. She didn't hesitate to pull him directly in the middle of it all. The crowds of people jumping to the rhythm around them gave her an easier slip away. She started moving around him to the music looking for possible places the elevator key could be. She enticed him to the point where he started to dance too and she located the key. She slipped behind him and grabbed the key out of his back pocket then resumed dancing. When she reached his front she stepped on his toe intentionally. Giving an apologetic smile. He bent to see the damage and while he was reaching down she kneed him right in the snout and sent him spiraling backward. He bumped into another brawny and beefy man and immediately was suckered into a fight.

She saw her vantage point and slipped through the crowds of dancing and fighting idiots and snaked over to the elevator. When she made it safely into the elevator she slid the key in the slot and rode it on up. Dimitri heard the ding and wasn't entirely ready for Bonnie's arrival yet. He didn't have time to call up extra guards in case the take down was hard. He strode over to the elevator and was prepared to greet this Bonnie nicely at first. However when the doors open, he wasn't exactly pleased to see Miss Carmelita Fox standing before him. He was staring point blank down the barrel of her gun.

"Where is Sly Cooper, and how do I get to him."

Dimitri backed up slowly raising his hands above his head. "Easy there doll face I see what you're trying to do. Just got off the phone with the old 'Cooper Gang' they think I'm hauling in Bonnie Cooper. Sucha shame that I get her mother instead."

Carmelita thought for a moment. "Dimitri, I need to talk to him." She noticed his computer glowing on his desk. "I didn't come to take you in," she said as she placed her gun back in her garter. "I came to find Sly Cooper, Dimitri I know you have connections and I need them." She walked passed him and around to his computer desk. She found a web chat happening on a website called thiefnet. She trolled through the conversation and realized that it was Bently, Sly Cooper's old gang member.

She looked up with a sense of pain and sorrow in her eyes, she had genuinely needed Dimitri's help. He wasn't expecting this. "I must say Carmelita, this is so unlike you. I figured you'd have me pummeled to the ground with all your police friends."

She shook her head. "I left the force, all I want now is to find my daughter and I need Sly's help. Please."

Dimitri looked astounded, but he knew off the bat that he wasn't about to give her something for nothing. "I can help you out darling, but that means you'll owe me one. Whenever and wherever I feel like it."

Carmelita tossed the idea around in her head. She was one step closer to her daughter, she didn't have a choice. "You have my word Dimitri."

Clearly satisfied he strolled over to his computer. "Luckily for you I was explaining that I potentially had Bonnie Cooper in my personal custody, however I think we both know how legitimate that is." He strolled over to meet her at his computer and made a few clicks and up popped a webcam video that was dialing Bently's thiefnet user. "I suppose you'll have to explain as to why that is no longer an option?"

Carmelita dropped her gaze to the screen and waited. She wasn't expecting what she saw, years of looking, wanting him back in her grasp. She was staring at Sly Cooper, her bane of existence and yet the love of her life. However what startled her most was seeing her son so grown, sitting on his lap. "Clyde." She said through some tears.

Sly's expression was no different. It had been a while. "Carmelita?" he questioned.

She shook her head, "I've um got some explaining to do Sly."

"So I'm a bouncing baby daddy of two huh?"

In spite of the situation, Carmelita let a small grin escape as she relayed to him the story of Bonnie Cooper.

*Outback of Australia present time.*

Seth sat at the kitchen table. He was completely unaware with how he was going to steal the Cooper Van. He had to formulate an Idea fast because his father was finishing up the wings. He needed an excuse something to help aid his thieving of the van, when he was struck with an idea. He ran around the corner from the kitchen and all but dove into the garage where his father was finishing up the car.

"Papa, you'll never believe this! Bently and Sly found the plane that Morgan and the girl Bonnie were flying in! They've landed here!"

Murray walked out from around the other side of the car and wiped grease off of his hands. His gaze lifted up to his son. _Dear God I hope this works._ "What do you mean Seth? How do you know?"

"Morgan was on the phone just before, she told me Bently emergency landed her plane. I don't know why she told me I mean obviously I would tell you!" Murray was easy to fool, especially without Bently or Sly there to make him question everything. He did however feel kind of bad, his father was a good guy, but Seth had always felt second to him. Ever since his mom died and his dad traveled the world for his racing Seth never felt like he was a priority, let alone a son. This was his chance to be something more than just a burden to his father.

Murray put down the towel on the work bench. "This is great news Seth, I've got to call them, and do you know their exact location?" Seth felt smug inside, this was gonna work.

Seth shook his head yes. Murray pushed passed him and headed for the small kitchen to call up his gang members. Seth shook his head in disbelief that it had worked. He walked over to the work bench and snagged the keys off of their hook then shut the garage door that leads into the kitchen and moved the rack of heavy tools in front of it so his father would have difficulty getting into the garage when he noticed.

Seth snuck over to the driver's seat and geared himself up. He was sixteen it was plausible that he learned how to drive. Right means go left means break. He started the car and heard pounding on the other end of the garage door. "Seth! Seth what are you doing?" His father must have heard the car roar to life. Quickly he plugged in the coordinates Morgan had relayed to him and the car lifted off the ground while its wings sprouted outward crashing and knocking things over. He saw the autopilot button and smacked it in just as his father broke through the barrier he'd set up. "Seth!" He'd called out but nothing was stopping him now. The truck crashed through the garage door and took off in a westward direction. Seth let out a sigh of relief as his small house faded in the distance.

He thought he was home free but felt his muscles tense when the van spoke to him "Warning: Autopilot failure." The truck began to slow down in the air. Far enough away from the house, but his father could catch him with any of their other cars if he didn't figure out how to drive this thing soon. He thought back to watching his dad all those years and let his instincts take over. He began to become one with a van and understand it more than he had ever before. He figured out how to drive it and switch from flight to drive. Suddenly he was off, roaring through the desert and he watched as the sand flew up into dust behind him. It was the first time he'd ever felt so alive.

*The desert*

Bonnie paced back and forth in the lounge area of the plane clearly lost in thought. Morgan had replaced the beds with lounge chairs again and was prodding through the kitchen of the jet just at the back of the little room. She packed food and water into cardboard boxes at relatively fast speed. She gathered things from around the plane as well, some pillows and blankets. As well as a computer that she had been debunking for about twenty minutes now.

"Morgan we can't just stay here we're sitting ducks!"

"It's what we have to do right now Bonnie, Seth will come through he's just like us. He will be here we can't leave him behind."

"What do you mean just like us?"

Morgan looked up from the laptop and closed it softly, she placed it in the box with pillows and blankets that sat beside her on the couch. "Why do you think I was so eager to find you?"

"You told me already, you think I didn't have a fair chance to be a Cooper." Bonnie retorted.

"Exactly," Bonnie scratched her head. Morgan rolled her eyes and continued. "Seth and I have spent our whole lives living in our parents shadows. His dad traveled the world to compete in races just for fun, whereas I lived on Kaine Island all of my life wondering when I'd get my shot to be who I was meant to. A thief, or a computer analyst, or anything I wanted to be. I didn't even think I'd get a friend out of it."

Bonnie sat in the lounge chair and allowed herself to relax for the moment as Morgan went on. "When I first saw you on the news, I instantly saw myself. A girl who wanted more than the life she had been dealt. Except you wanted to follow the path your father laid out for you. I partly wanted to aid you because I wanted my father to see that I am capable of great things just like he is, you basically were learning and embracing who you are last night, it gave me the strength to believe that I could be what I was meant to. And Seth, poor Seth, ever since his mother died he's done everything he could to get his father to even notice him. We're all desperate to be more than what our parents programmed us to be in our heads. We can relate to each other that way I guess. You were the spark Bonnie, you've united us."

"I have?" She asked.

"It's like we're a team on the run, except from our parents. We need to be who we are, they can't stop us and they need to see that. And sure I just met you in person yesterday Bonnie, but the way you completely threw caution to the wind has shown me that I can rely on you to help give me the courage I need to throw caution to it too, and hopefully Seth will feel that way as well. Now don't panic. I have an idea as to where to go after he gets here."

It was almost as if on que that the girls heard an engine roar to life from somewhere in the desert. They ran to the plane windows and saw the Cooper van heading straight for them. Bonnie gripped her cane tight and decided to hide while Morgan looked puzzled.

"I know you think its Seth, but a little skepticism couldn't hurt and could keep our heist going here, think about it. There is a 50/50 chance it could be Murray. I'd rather him think we weren't here while he searches the ship. You and I hide in the closet alongside the cockpit doors and when he checks up there we lock him in, we'd have at least three minutes to escape to the van and take it to find Seth."

Morgan was amazed at Bonnie's thinking. As much as she believed it was Seth she had to be a little skeptical in case it was Murray. The two girls flocked to the closet and waited as they heard the van pull to a stop.

"I'll check the window," Morgan said, considering she'd be the only one on board who could differentiate between Murray and Seth because Bonnie had never met either. Relief overtook her when Seth rushed out of the car and banged on the landing pad. "We're clear Bonnie!" She said slightly more ecstatic then she should have been, "It is Seth!"

She opened the landing pad and greeted Seth with the biggest hug. "Good to see you Morgan, Hurry we don't have a lot of time!" He said heading for the van.

Morgan quickly replied, "Open the back doors I've jacked all the planes food supply and some blankets and pillows for warmth. I know the van is somewhat luxury, but I doubt it's got enough accommodations to get us where we are going."

Seth raced up into the plane and saw Bonnie standing there for the first time, he didn't exactly know what to make of her and he certainly wasn't sure if he particularly liked her or not. Let's be real here, she is the reason they're all now fugitive children, of pretty much fugitive parents. She alone essentially doubled the wanted factor and potential bounty over all their heads. He didn't have time for an introduction let alone care to give one, he grabbed the first box of supplies he saw on the couch and began to walk to the van. When he placed it in the back he saw Bonnie carrying the last of them.

Morgan was already in the front seat fiddling with the tech. She used her laptop to calculate the van's GPS tracking devices and fry them. Considering it was a particularly old van, her father's new fancy tech couldn't have been programmed into it yet, so finding them would be nearly impossible once she hacked the tracking chip and blasted it to smithereens with viruses to the point where it just shut down. Bonnie climbed in the back of the van while Seth shut her in and paced to the driver's seat. "Where to?" He asked.

"Set a course for Utah, America. I've been checking old databases and there's an old mob boss named Mugshot who used to own some casinos there. The place has been abandoned for years upon years since he was arrested back then, courtesy of both your mom and dad kind of." She gestured toward Bonnie. "It would be the perfect place to lay low and brush up on our skills. Bonnie there's ample grounds for practicing skills that you read about in the Thievius Raccoonus, also Seth there's a racing track that you can practice well racing I guess. We can lay low there for a while but we've got to move fast we've been idle for too long who knows how close our parents are."

Seth let himself grin ear to ear. "Say no more Morgan my dear," He flicked a switch and the car began to hover as it sprouted wings. "To Utah it is." The car took off into the skies as they left the jet behind. Bonnie peered out the front window and couldn't help but smile. Even though she had a feeling Seth didn't take to her well, she felt like this was becoming a family, she was a part of a group that would do so much, even if they knew so little of her. It was truly an honor, among thieves that is, to be able to work together even with differences. She herself allowed a smile to grow from ear to ear as they soared into the sunny sky above.

*A plane above Australia*

Carmelita sat across from her Sly Cooper. They stared each other down and didn't say a word. She wondered what he'd been thinking. They were strapped in to safety harnesses so they couldn't move. She had recounted the conversation last night. She had seen a sorrow in Sly's eyes that she'd never encountered before. She couldn't imagine what it felt like to have someone withhold information like being a parent from them. Her heart sank on his behalf for what she'd done. She had wanted to tell him six years ago but words didn't mean anything, he had to know her, to know Bonnie. She shifted her gaze uneasily to her sleeping son Clyde who was strapped in right next to Sly. He wasn't the same little baby boy she had seen all those years ago. Not a day went by that she didn't miss him, but she just couldn't say anything outwardly during that time without raising suspicion by everyone in her life.

All of her wished she could take those years back, to watch Clyde grow up like a good mother. Or even to watch her Bonnie grow up, to focus on her more than she ever did. She felt Sly's gaze harden as Carmelita looked at her son. "He's adorable isn't he?"

She wasn't expecting him to speak to her, not after all she'd told him last night. The fourteen hour plane ride thus far was mostly in utter silence and her falling in and out of sleep. She all but had to beg for him to get her and fly her to wherever they believed Bonnie was. She couldn't meet his gaze, she was scared too. "Perfect." She replied.

Bently came over the intercom, "We'll be arriving shortly, and brace yourselves there could potentially be a fight. Who knows? Murray called in and said Seth went missing with the van, it's safe to assume that they're all there together, either that or they all escaped together. However there is still a chance we can head them off." His voice cut out. He was up in the cockpit with Penelope working together on the flight; Sly just assumed they were giving Carmelita and him some privacy.

Sly looked her once over, she was still wearing that black dress that they'd picked her up in last night at Dimitri's Nightclub. He'd recognize that dress anywhere, it was the same one she'd worn at Rajan's palace so many years ago, he'd deceived her that night and they'd shared a dance. She was uneasy since they're arrival and she hadn't relaxed since getting on the plane. Sly wondered what she was thinking. He also wondered how she could keep his daughter away from him, especially when she wanted so much to be like him apparently. He didn't know what he wanted more anymore; a chance to actually have a protégé child who enjoyed his lifestyle path, or capture her and have her imprisoned. Ever since he saw that birth certificate at Bently's on Kaine Island, he had been tossing it around.

Once Carmelita found a way to get in touch with him, he was even more disturbed with the options. He'd never met this girl and yet she'd managed to clear his entire file hidden in Carmelita's safe, get hold of the Thievius Raccoonus, and basically become a master thief on her debut performance. Kid had guts. There was one thing that puzzled him though, "How'd she get the cane?"

Carmelita looked up from her son who fluttered his eyes awake, "It was in the safe that she berated, along with your hat and her birth certificate." Sly Cooper's expression remained unchanged, when he'd told her to keep it safe sixteen years ago he didn't literally mean keep it in a safe. Leaving his hat was by accident though, he assumed she just brought out the more clumsy side of him, he didn't think she'd have kept it, but apparently she did. He was currently wearing a different blue hat, which Carmelita couldn't figure out how he got. Maybe Bently just had spares for him on Kaine Island. "Listen Sly, I don't know what your intentions are when we get there, but she is my little girl, and I will be taking her home."

Sly smiled slyly, "Is that what you think Carmelita?" Her eyes widened and she immediately was put on alert. "As beautiful and persuasive as you look in that dress, I do say it's not your choice, where our daughter goes anymore, hasn't worked well in the past has it cause here we are."

Carmelita flinched in her chair. "Listen to me Sly Cooper, she has never met you she knows nothing about you and you can rest assured that she will come back home with me. Just like my son will too. The cats out of the bag in Paris everyone knows so I'm taking my children somewhere else. I've missed so much of Bonnie's life; I won't allow myself to do the same with Clyde."

Sly grinned again. "You know Carmelita, you basically asked out children to be thieves. Bonnie and Clyde? Really? I think considering your lack of parenting our daughter became like me. I bet it burns you because you've probably done everything you could have to stop her from being this way."

Sly had already been dancing on her nerves, but now he hit the red button that labels and signs always warn you not to push. She lunged her hand out to hit him but the safety harness held her back. "You listen to me Cooper. I'm no longer who I was six years ago, let alone six hours ago. Do not threaten me by using my children because I will break any law I have to, I will become a thief myself if it means saving them. Don't get mad at me because finding you and being with you or arresting you is no longer a concern of mine. So when we land and my daughter is before me, stay out of my way."

"Hold tight," Bently's voice was saying once more. "We are landing." The plane came to a halt and floated gently to the ground. The safety harnesses unlocked and Carmelita shot up so fast that she didn't realize Sly did the same thing and considering they were so close they crashed into each other and fell to the ground. He hit the floor first and she landed right on top of him. They met each other's gaze. Each one of them had to fight their feelings of hate, pain, betrayal, lies, but most of all love, because they needed to find their daughter.

She looked into his brown eyes for a few short moments, and then she pushed herself back up. _He is not my priority._ She thought to herself.

He regained his balance and stood and helped Clyde out of his chair. _She is not my priority._ He thought to himself.

They all exited the plane and were baffled to find Murray sitting on the landing pad of the jet Morgan had stolen, face in palms and wallowing in pity. Bently, Penelope, Sly and Carmelita let out a defeated sigh. It could only mean one thing. Morgan, Bonnie, and now Seth got away, again. They were back to square one.

*Authors note*

Thank you for all of your support for my OC story! I would like to add an FYI, I plan to write about the things that you don't get in this storyline as separate stories, for example, Where Clyde and Sly have been for six years. When Sly came to Carmelita sixteen years passed and Bonnie came about. I even plan to write some new legacy adventures if requested! Don't be afraid to offer suggestions I know I'm not the world's greatest writer but whatever you'd like to see let me know and I'll see where I can fit it in! Thank you for reading and I hope you like what I've accomplished so far!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The flight was quite long and crowded, it didn't help that they were all scrunched into such a small van. Bonnie kept getting tossed around in the back and smacking against the walls. "Think you could go easy up there." She said gripping the back of the driver's seat to regain balance. Morgan was fast asleep in the passenger side with her laptop and tech materials covering her legs like a blanket should. Bonnie brought her gaze to Seth's in the rearview mirror.

"Shut it Bonnie," he whispered rudely, "Morgan is asleep."

Bonnie's eyebrows sagged down as an annoyed and angered expression sneaked across her face. "All I'm asking!" She said in a loud whisper, "Is that you drive more CAREFULLY!" Her voice got louder with each word and she immediately regretted screaming the carefully part out loud as Morgan shook awake.

Seth rolled his eyes, "Smooth." He relayed to Bonnie. Morgan rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms out. She shook her head at the miscommunication she sensed between Bonnie and Seth.

She looked at Bonnie with annoyance, "There's no need to be loud Bonnie!" Seth tightened his grip on the wheel and let out a smile. "Don't think you're off the hook either. Whatever you two so clearly don't like each other for it's time to put it aside. If we want this to work, we've got to be a team!"

Seth looked out the window, it seemed like they'd been traveling in the daylight for days on end. They'd only been traveling for about 10 hours, but the sun was with them the whole trip west. They had a solid ten hours left considering they flew the long way. He stayed silent to allow himself to think. As annoyed as he was by her statement though Morgan had a point. They were a band of thieves now and there would be no team if they couldn't cooperate. He just couldn't figure out why he felt so closed off to this Bonnie. Could it be because he'd never heard of her before yesterday, and now Morgan was suddenly all on board for her being this 'New Legacy's' leader? It didn't make sense to him, then again nothing really did anymore. Why did he just betray his father? He didn't know, he was so confused, but most of all tired. "Is it possible to land Morgan, I've been driving for hours?"

She returned her gaze to her computer and clicked a few times, "Affirmative, we are directly above Mauritania, Africa. It's primarily desert land but I've found a place with some forest coverage we could land for a few hours. It's just a few more miles that way. Seth turned the vehicle and they headed there fast. Again Bonnie fell backward and banged into something. She let out an angered grunt and Seth felt satisfied.

"Take it easy princess we'll be landed soon." He said.

Bonnie bit her tongue. She had had enough of this guy. She'd grown particularly fond of Morgan but this Seth character was making it obvious that her presence was clearly unwanted. She had figured once they landed, she'd find a way to peel out on her own. It's been fun and they've definitely saved her tail more than once, but she couldn't work with someone who treated her like she was the bane of his existence. She didn't want to drag them down with her more than she already has.

Seth began to land the Van in the coverage of the trees, he brought her down gently and upon reaching the ground he jumped out and stretched his limbs to his heart's content. "Good golly Morgan that was so long. I'm gonna take a nap." He headed around to the trunk and opened the doors. "Come on out princess the air is fine." Bonnie crawled out without making a noise or even meeting Seth's gaze.

He reached in one of the boxes and pulled out a bottle of water and grabbed a pillow. He laid flat on in the bed of the van as he heard Morgan tinkering on the roof. "Rest up in there," she said giving a few kicks to the hood so he'd hear her from above. "I'm wiring the car so that it runs on solar power since it's been running low on fuel, I've had the plates charging this whole trip and I'm installing them now. I'd say you've got five or so hours before we take to the skies again."

Seth called up in acknowledgement and let his eyes fall shut, not five minutes later he was kicked awake by Morgan. He rolled over and shook his head. "What Morgan I said okay?"

She looked frantic. "That's not it Seth. Bonnie is gone."

He shoved his face back in the pillow. "She's probably gone to go to the bathroom in the woods or something."

Morgan ripped the pillow out from under him and pulled him by his legs out the back of the van. "She didn't tell me she was leaving, and I doubt she told you. We've got to find her."

Seth stood up brushing the dirt out of his hair. "Relax Morgan, she couldn't be far. Besides all her stuff is." He made a jester toward the van, the spot where the Thievius Raccoonus and her cane were, only now noticing that they were gone. "Oh." He said clearly understanding Morgan's frantic attitude.

"Seth I've got to get her, I don't know why she left. I had a tracking chip inside of the book so since she took it I could find her with my wrist watch but that would put back the project I need to finish on the van, we could be idle for hours more than I had calculated for. It means we're vulnerable and we are stuck."

"I don't get it, why not just go on without her? We don't need her Morgan."

Morgan looked let down, "I don't understand why you are so against her Seth, she is just like us in the sense that all her life she's felt expendable. In this band of misfits we all belonged together, you did the one thing that she won't tolerate anymore, you made her feel expendable again Seth. She was the spark both of us needed to be free of the lives we'd so dreadfully lived so far. We need her or we might as well just surrender and go home. Do you see now? We can't leave without Bonnie, surely some part of you must know that."

He let out a sigh and held out a hand to Morgan, here she was again, having points that changed his thought process. "Give me the watch, I'll track her and be back within the five hour span. You just get those panels on the van and keep them in the sun so they charge longer, Bonnie can't be too far."

Morgan let out a relieved sigh and handed him her watch, the book is the blinking dot. I doubt she'll part from it, so it's safe to assume that she is the blinking dot. I'll take your com watch," She said taking his off and strapping it on, "Just so we won't lose contact."

Seth began to walk away, "Oh and Seth, you know how it feels to be expendable. Don't make her feel the same way, again."

He shook his head and started following the blinking dot through the woods.

*Kaine Island*

"How could they just slip out of our grasps, we had them right there! On the ropes! We're losing our touch." Bently said slamming his head into his hands as he propped his elbows on his lab desk. "It's hopeless!"

Penelope rubbed his back to comfort him, she herself had been feeling kind of down but she needed to be strong, for Bently's sake. Murray strolled over to him and placed a hand on his left shoulder. "They slipped through our grasp cause they've got our wit and skill. We'll find'em Bently, make no mistake of that, The Murray is back and I won't rest until we have them.

The gang sat around contemplating ideas as to how to track the kids. Sly sat on a computer browsing thiefnet for possible sightings. He was clearly agitated and couldn't think straight. It was the first time in a long time he didn't exactly know what to say. His quick wit was failing him because he was so utterly betrayed by someone he loved so much, but at the same time had such profound hatred for. Penelope noticed him scrolling intently and zoning out at the screen. She strolled over to him.

"Find anything interesting?" She asked.

"Yeah looks like Clockwerk is back." He said sarcastically rolling his eyes.

Penelope's expression didn't change as she sat in the computer chair next to him. "Listen Sly, you're hurting, it's clear as the day is bright, and it's written all over your face. Now I don't want you to think I'm undermining your feelings because you are most certainly allowed to feel betrayed and hurt. All I ask is that you take note of the fact that we've all lost something yesterday."

Sly stopped scrolling and crossed his arms. "It's not the something that I'm so worried about. It's the someone, it's Bonnie. I never knew I was a father, I mean before Clyde. She was ten years old when Clyde came along. She is my daughter, the original next generation Cooper, and I didn't know it. I don't so much care about the Thievius Raccoonus anymore Penelope, if she's got it with her, she's going to do what I'd want her to."

Penelope was confused, "Which is what exactly?"

He turned to meet her eyes. "She's going to read it, and hopefully study it. She's going to be the protégé child, simply because she's done all of this, without even reading the damn book. Imagine how talented my daughter will be once she does."

Penelope huffed slightly, "You know Bonnie didn't exactly do it alone, we've all got some outstandingly great kids. They've learned our trade so well they're practically better than us at it."

Sly smirked slightly, "Yeah well they're still a hostile force and we've got to find them." He looked around the lab for the first time in a few hours. Murray was trying to help Bently do something technologically based while Penelope simply sat adjacent to him. This was the first time he noticed both Clyde and Carmelita's absence, without thinking he jumped up immediately. "Where is Clyde?"

Everyone looked at him, Bently raised an eyebrow. "Sly he told you he wanted to go to the beach with Carmelita, you shook your head yes?"

Unbelievable, he was so out of it that his son was able to slip his sight even when inadvertently trying to. He swiftly headed for the lab exit and stormed through Bently's house toward the back door leading to the beach. He'd be dammed if he let Carmelita make sure her vow on taking the kids back was kept. He was relieved to see them playing in the waves and running around playing. Considering his thought was that she'd be building a raft for the two of them to sail away on.

He strolled down the beach and right up to Carmelita, she said nothing as he approached her. She was dripping because of the way the waves knocked her down several times, she looked exhausted but she had a fake smile on for Clyde, Sly saw through it instantly, he was inches from her face when he called over to Clyde, not losing her eye contact for a second. "Clyde, inside now!"

He started walking toward them just to get knocked over by another wave and laugh. "But daddy I was playing with mommy." Sly's muscles tensed as he had to look away from her for a moment.

"Clyde, it's important, daddy has to talk to 'Mommy' real quick." He spit the word out as if it tasted bitter or perhaps salty to say. He hung his head in sorrow and headed up the path that lead back to the base. Sly felt bad for ruining his fun, but he had to protect him from this so called "Mommy" of his.

He pulled his gaze back to Carmelita, "Let's get one thing straight here Fox, you do not take my son anywhere without someone supervising. You will not have him call you mommy. Lastly, you are not taking him, he is my son and deserves to be loved the way you so obviously couldn't love your Bonnie."

She stepped back jaw gaping open. Her heart shattered. She wanted to cry and punch him in that face at the same time, but she had to use all her strength to fight the tears back. Instead she let it formulate and turn into anger. "You monster," she said as Sly turned away from her. "How dare you tell me that I've no right to my son! I brought him into this world and have done everything I could have to get him back, to get him to come home with me without raising suspicion. I may have missed all those years but I finally found him with you, and I'll be dammed if you try to keep him from me."

Sly stopped in his tracks. He felt her anger emanating off of her, but his was a bit stronger at the moment. "Oh I'm sorry." He said turning his head back to face her with a sarcastic smile. "Would it hurt if I took him away from you and didn't tell you of his life, or how he was doing?" He strolled toward her again and stopped an inch from her face, close enough to see the pain in her eyes. "Look on the bright side Fox, at least you know he exists."

Carmelita's expression turned dark and cold. "You're the one who left me Sly Cooper! You came back to Paris all those years ago to find me. You told me that in your 'final moments' you thought of me. How our careers separated us." His hardened eyes softened as he watched a tear roll down her face. "You spent that night with me, and you told me that I meant something to you. Through all of our games and our chases and sheer hatred, you told me that you loved me." Sly turned away being hurt almost as much as she was by the memory of that night.

"I thought you had changed, I honestly did. But then I wake up the next day to your calling card on my nightstand, and I was cuffed to my own bed. The master thief did it; he stole my heart and then left me alone and cold." She sat on the ground and buried her head in her knees. "I've never been so weak. I've never been so vulnerable." Tears streamed down her snout. "I didn't plan on Bonnie happening, but she did."

Sly turned to face her again and sat with her on the sand, trying to feel what she was saying, trying to understand what he had put her through. "I wanted to tell you, I spent the better half of my daughter's life looking for you. But you were always one step ahead of me. First I wanted to bring you to justice, watch you rot behind bars for the crimes you've committed over all the years, including the pain you've cause me, but the more I realized I was missing of my daughter's life, the more I realized I wanted you to be there, to see how wonderful our little girl was.

"Years passed and then I found you and Clyde came along, again not something I had planned but you do something to me Sly Cooper that both infuriates and captivates me. I was going back to get her. I was going to bring her to you. It wasn't something that could just be said, you had to physically see her. I was willing to sacrifice my life, my job, and everything I had for Bonnie and Clyde. So do not presume to tell me that I have no right to my son. Because you're the one who walked away from your daughter, I didn't keep her from you."

Sly felt pained, he didn't realize all those years back, as much as he knew he felt something for Carmelita back then, he wasn't ready to settle down yet and give up doing what he enjoyed so much. He had thought he was, but when he had her that one night so long ago. He had felt her and taken her. He knew it was blind hope and wishful thinking. She was right in the sense that he was wrong, but she could have just told him when she's met up with him six years ago. It would have been easier. As much resentment as he felt about it, he didn't allow it to deter what she'd said, because he had if not an equal share definitely more of the blame in this situation.

She picked her head up and stared at the ocean. Clouds were rolling in and the breeze was picking up. She saw some flashes of lightning and stood to head back inside. Sly stood as well and they were eye to eye once more. She felt tense, her emotions were all over the place and she didn't know how to feel. She was the strongest woman she knew, with everything except things that involved him. She reached her right arm over and grabbed hold of the left one as she drew her face toward the sand to avoid his eyes. "We should get inside it looks like it's going to rain soon."

She began to move around him and back up the beach where the lab's entrance was. She just barely made it passed him when he grabbed her free hand. Her gaze was brought back to his and she felt her heart shatter. He didn't particularly know what he was going to say. How could he? "I am sorry Carmelita, for everything that I've done."

She nodded. She was tempted again, the same way she used to be when she was near him. It would be so easy to sink back into that hurricane known as Sly Cooper, but she'd pushed him aside for the sake of her daughter, and that's what she was just going to have to keep doing for the sake of her daughter. "It's done with Cooper. Just don't get in the way of me and my children anymore, please, I'm asking now as the mother I never got the chance to be before."

He stood there baffled as she pulled away, she had changed so much. Normally he could just pull her back to him and without a moment's hesitation she would be his again. She would give in to his charm. However it wasn't just about the two of them anymore, two other Coopers were involved now, and it was obvious that he was no longer the top priority of her life. It hit him kind of hard and it broke a piece of him. However he knew that maybe she had a point, it was time for change. If he couldn't win her back with an apology, he would let her win after all these years and let her take the kids, assuming they could actually find Bonnie. He didn't exactly want to, but he knew that she wouldn't stop searching if he didn't let her and his heart shook at the idea that she would no longer be looking for him.

He loved her, and he was so annoyed that he waited so long to admit it to himself. He had run so long ago because he was so scared of her in her entirety, he didn't think they could make it work. But now they were parents together and he had to think about his kids now, what would be best for them. Carmelita was, and he knew it because he loved her, so he had to let her go.

Bently wheeled out onto the beach, the rain had started coming down and Sly didn't even realize. The thunder roared overhead and the lightning lit up the dark sky. "Sly! Come in Sly! Do you Read me."

He smiled pushing aside his thoughts. Now where has he hear that before. "Loud and clear Bently, what's going on?"

Bently's voice came through kind of muffled as Sly turned to face him, the wind picked up and he headed up the beach to meet him. "We might have found something that could help us find them." Together they heading inside to seek shelter from the rain and look at their potential lead.

*A Small village in Mauritania Africa*

Seth tracked the blinking red dot into some small and rundown village. He knew he must have been getting closer because the dot didn't move toward the edges of the com watch's screen anymore. He turned a couple of corners and ducked into some adobe alleyways to avoid the looks of the natives, until he saw a girl draped in a cloak walking toward a fruit stand. He noticed how whenever she moved, it correlated with the dot on his watch. _Gotcha_. He thought to himself.

He approached her silently and grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the alleyway that she'd just walked out of. However she wasn't completely defenseless. She swung her Cooper cane out from under her cloak and knocked him off his feet. He fell down with a really loud crash and knocked over a couple of baskets that were lying against the adobe wall. Only when he was rubbing his head and trying to sit up did she realize who it was.

Bonnie flipped off the hood of her cloak and kneeled by his side. "Gosh are you okay Seth?"

He shook his head and blinked his eyes a little. "Yeah, I guess I deserved that. Remind me not to sneak up on you ever again."

Bonnie turned her head away from him, "You won't have to worry about it, I don't know how you found me, probably Morgan I'm assuming, but still I don't belong with you two. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused." She pulled her cloak back up and rose to her feet. She turned to walk away. "Forget that you found me, I'll just go solo from now on."

As she took her first step toward the fruit stand, Seth began to speak. _From the heart, she knows how it feels._ He thought. "You know you're something else."

She stopped and turned toward him once more as he continued. "Your whole life you didn't know who your dad was. You find out and in the same span of twenty four hours, you've managed to attract global attention. Become the most wanted thief on thiefnet. Unite all our parents against us. And lastly, you've managed to unite us under the most bizarre circumstances."

She hung her head down, "Look I said I was sorry, I'm leaving now you don't have to make me feel worse."

Seth stood up and brushed the dirt off of his hands. "You didn't let me finish." He walked toward her again. "Someone with that much capability, that much potential, could never be expendable. I know how that feels Bonnie. My whole life my father traveled the world for his racing derbies and I was left under the care of my mom, that part wasn't so bad. But she passed away when I was merely nine, and I was always left in the care of some guru guy that once mentored my dad. I never felt like I had any value to my dad, I was expendable."

She looked down, "I don't understand why you're telling me this."

He hung his head in shame, "I just want you to see that sometimes knowing your who your parents are, doesn't always mean you matter to them."

"I still don't understand, why does that make you hate me."

Seth rolled his eyes and brought his gaze back up to hers. He finally figured it out, "I do not hate you Bonnie. Am I a big fan of how you basically flipped the world upside down and put a big target on not only yours, but Morgan's and now my back as well? No not necessarily, however, I admire the fact that you took a stand against the grain. It's something neither me nor Morgan could ever do. So I guess I envy you, for trying to find who you are and doing what you wanted. All I did was spend my life in the confines of our small house in Australia."

Bonnie reached out and touched his shoulder. "Seth I'm so sorry that you feel that way. But I didn't put targets on either of your backs. Morgan sought me out and helped me escape Paris; she chose that on her own. She flew us to get you, placing a similar choice in your hands. You chose to save us from being caught. You got us here. So it's unfair to say that I am the only one who took a stand for myself, because you did the same thing, and so did she." She removed the cloak from her head and met his gaze again, "I guess you could say we all were tired of feeling like nobodies, and we came together to collectively become more than we ever thought we could. Maybe knowing your father left you feeling easily forgotten, but I could never forget a guy who flipped his own world upside down for the sake of a stranger. That's not expendable, that's courage."

Seth looked down, "I'm sorry for making you feel like you didn't belong with us Bonnie. This whole leaving home with a sort of stranger and living on my own is somewhat new to me."

She shrugged, "As long as you can forgive me for being small minded, and leaving without trying to understand your reasoning first."

He extended a hand "friends?" He asked.

She smiled, "master thieves." She said shaking it.

He laughed, "Come on, Morgan is attaching solar panels on the van so we won't have to stop and filler up every so often."

Bonnie's eyes widened, "That girl can do anything I swear."

Seth programmed his watch's coordinates into Morgan's and another blinking dot appeared. It should take them about an hour to find her, and he'd still have some time to sleep before they took to the skies again, "You sell yourself short Cooper."

They raced through the back alleyways of the adobe village toward the woods again, "I think we all do," she said. Before they knew it they were under the cover of the trees and she shed her cloak and the two of them trekked through the woods together to find Morgan and the van, and to finally head for Utah."

*Kaine Island*

Sly stood watch over the screen, still not completely sure as to what was happening. "So one of these five places, you're sure of it."

Bently had a huge map on the smartboard projector aimed at the huge whiteboard along the back wall. "If my calculations are correct, which they most certainly always are, then the kids are definitely going to one of these five places." He marked five small circles on the map. All places Sly knew too well. "Back when the fiendish five had the Thievius Raccoonus, they were all hiding out in these locations across the globe. I've recently intercepted a signal that was expressing interest in these locations, they were patterned searches on thiefnet and I'm thinking it could be Morgan; it's too coincidental to search each location all at once. They could be looking for a place to lay low. We're going to have to check each map. It could take a month to extensively search all these places."

Murray smiled, "Just like old times huh sly?"

"Back to basics with Sly and the gang? Let's go find us some conniving kids."

They all made their way to the hangar with haste. Sly suited up as Bently readied the jet they'd be taking to their first stop. Russia, the original location of Clockwerk. It made sense to look there, it was his biggest enemy. She could be training on the lands with his families book. Part of him silently hoped she was.

Bently kissed Penelope goodbye then headed to the cockpit with Murray. Carmelita came into the hangar holding Clyde's hand. "I'm coming with you."

Sly looked at her and felt guilty all over again, he knew the smart thing to do. "No, you've missed enough time with your son as it is." He said as he walked over to her. "Spend time with him and make sure he's okay for me, it's dangerous to bring him along."

She raised an eyebrow as Sly kneeled to say goodbye to his son. "Be good for mommy okay?" Clyde shook his head in agreement and latched onto Carmelita's leg. Sly rose to meet Carmelita's gaze again. "I've got some things I need to make up for." He said scratching the back of his head. "Fear not Carmelita, I will find our daughter, and for your sake, I'll bring her back to you. I'll disappear again and you can go about your life. I just need to be the one to find her, for my sake. You've got to trust me."

She was skeptical but she looked down at her son, "Mark my words Cooper, if you so much as think about fleeing with her, I will find you. I will not rest until you are either behind bars or dead, and I won't care which one happens first. I will not lose her again."

Clearly taken aback by her response. "Yeah love you too sweetheart, see you in a month or maybe sooner if we find her." On that not he pulled her in and kissed her so sweetly then jumped on board the plane.

She stood there shocked and mouth open in awe as Clyde waved to the plane, she watched the hatch open and saw them fly off into the stormy night. _Curse that Raccoon._ She thought as she allowed a real smile to form across her face for the first time in the last two days.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: To plummet, or not to plummet, that is the question.

"Ladies and myself, fasten your seatbelts please, the Cooper Van will be landing in a few short moments in Mesa City, Utah. Brace yourselves for an impact on not only the ground, but the world as the New Legacy starts its greatest heist yet. The… wait what exactly is our first heist again?" Seth asked stopping the insanely annoying announcer's voice he was using beforehand.

Bonnie giggled a little even though she still didn't understand why they were going to Mesa City anyway. Morgan looked up from her computer, "Well Slow Seth," she started sarcastically, "I've been looking at the grounds of all our parent's old heisting jobs. Mesa City is the most discrete, it's got great training equipment, and it's been abandoned since your mother hauled Mugshot away all those years back!" She turned to face Bonnie.

"That's all good and well," Bonnie began, "But once I've read through this book," she gestured toward the Thievius Raccoonus, "and I've learned all there is to know, what we do then."

For the first time in the last few days everyone was silent. Not one of them thought about what they were going to do once they were all prepared and ready for actual thieving. They didn't have any vendettas to make good on, apart from their parents of course. All of them lacked motives to even be thieves, well at least now they did considering all of their motives thus far have gotten them where they are now. Bonnie thought for a moment, they had to get their name on the map. They had to be big but how could they pull off something even bigger then what they've already accomplished.

"That's an interesting thought Bonnie," Morgan stated, "I guess I didn't think that far ahead myself."

Seth let out a laugh as he brought the van down to a screeching halt in the deserted deserts of Mesa City. He finally took his foot off the petal and turned so that both Bonnie and Morgan were in his view. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we are quite literally above the law at this point, we've got our own bad guy hideout and let's face it we're damn good, but there's a lot of room for improvement. Training alone could take weeks if not months. Then we could start out small? Heisting a couple stores for things like food, and clothes for disguises. We can train off the land and head into Vegas for our heists once we're trained up enough, it's only a few hours away and we could-"

Morgan shook her head, "We get it Seth we've got options, but before we even start contemplating those we need to build up our fortress and strengths." She popped out of the van and began scanning the area for signals and possible cameras and tracking units. Seth hopped out and headed directly toward the race track he'd heard his dad talk about so many times.

Bonnie was hesitant but when Morgan opened the trunk she climbed out and took in the rubble around her. The air was warm and humid, she wasn't sure what to expect. She looked at the pipes and lanterns overhead and imagined her father climbing across them on his mission to take down Mugshot. This was everything she needed in her life, it was coming together right in front of her like pieces of a puzzle. Bonnie turned around and took in everything, the rundown buildings the falling apart structures and neon lights that anyone could tell haven't been lit in so long. She found herself gripping her Cooper cane tighter in her right fist and pressing the Thievius Raccoonus to her chest with her left arm. She was ready to become the next legacy the next Cooper in the thieving business. She was ready to take the thrown, or in this case cane, and she was ready to wield it with pride.

She was so fixated within her fantasies that she hadn't realized that Morgan had been talking to her. "Got it?" she asked.

Bonnie stared blankly at her face and she couldn't help but giggle. She didn't hear a word she said so she figured she'd play it smooth and pay her a compliment so she wouldn't be mad if she had to repeat herself. "You've got pretty green eyes Morgan I never noticed them before."

She looked down and blushed clearly taken aback by what Bonnie said. "Um…Thanks. But that doesn't answer my question, will you do it?"

Bonnie let out the breath she was holding, "Okay if I'm being honest I wasn't listening to a word you said to me."

Morgan rolled her eyes, "Bonnie get your head out of the clouds, I need to jam my families signals so it makes it harder to find us that's why you and I are going to make a video of you declaring something big that all our parents will see and while it does that it will also infect my dad's intercoms and most of his recently developed technology with a virus. It will be irreversible because every time my father tries to work around it, it will evolve to fight the oncoming attack. I'm the only person who can disable it. The only problem is it could take anywhere from four or five minutes to install, I need a distraction. I need that distraction to be you."

Bonnie looked perplexed at the ground, "I have a better idea, you know where our dads are right now right?"

She shrugged, "a plane somewhere, probably over Europe, I can't track them that often without giving them a signal to follow, that's why I've got to plant the virus."

Seth was racing up the hill to join the girls again, "Man I could get some serious driving skill down there." He noticed something serious was being discussed and threw his purple hands up. "Great, what happened now because I promise I didn't do anything?"

Morgan shook her head, "Nothing Seth don't be dumb, we are going to stall our parents longer with a virus I developed on the way here, so what exactly is your bigger plan than a ransom video."

Bonnie smirked, "Let's get to work gang." She relayed her idea and the others jumped on board right away. She knew this was going to work; it gave her an opportunity to meet the very man she originated from, as well as allowed good old Morgan to plant the virus. She felt her plan coming together and rushed to help Morgan make all the preparations necessary. This was going to be a truly wonderful moment for her, even if it was going to be the potential downfall of her fathers.

*The skies above Europe*

Sly paced back and forth in the jet and denied food or refreshments from Bentley, it wouldn't be possible to get anything anyway considering ever since they boarded the jet Murray hasn't left the kitchen section. He contemplated if they made the right call to go to Russia first; part of him had a feeling that she wouldn't be there. Sly couldn't fight the idea that something was wrong. Well everything was wrong he was surrounded by a world he didn't know anymore. He had a child, well two children, and the gang he'd left behind all those years back just didn't seem to be in it the way they used to be.

Bently noticed Sly's continuous pacing and he felt somewhat bad for him. To have something like this sprung on him no more than twenty-four hours or so prior. He felt his pain and decided to act on the opportunity to rebuild the friendship they'd once had by seizing the moment to discuss what had been bothering all of them, their kids. He wheeled over to where he was pacing. "Lost in thought?"

Sly looked up but only briefly enough to recognize how close Bentley had gotten before he continued to walk along the worn down jet carpet that followed the pattern that his feet were walking. "Lost in a new world of thought Bentley."

"I know it's a lot to take in Sly, all of us lost something and all of us are affected but I know we'll find the kids. We can split them up on their merry way again and it will be set."

Sly stopped pacing and plopped in a lounge chair. "Bently I don't want to split the kids up, I think that's a terrible idea. I mean right out of the shoot my daughter stole the Thievius Raccoonus in alliance with your daughter and Murray's son. That's a thieving skill I want to hone and help grow. I want Bonnie in my life! She's everything Clyde isn't! I was so worried he was going to be the prodigal son, the follower of my footsteps. All he talks about is playing in sandboxes and asking me for cookies. He doesn't even try to steal them Bentley! I think our kids could be the next us."

Bently crossed his arms. "So you're not even mad?"

Sly shook his head and placed it in his hands, "I'm not saying I'm not mad, of course I'm mad she's got my family heirlooms, but she is family, she's almost entitled to them. I think that that's what this is all about Bentley, she's trying to take back what's hers."

Bently looked perplexed as if now he was lost in thought, Sly brought up a good point. Maybe the children weren't out to bring down the family, hell maybe they were just trying to be something more than what they had set out for them to be. "You've got a point Sly, I think they might just be trying to be who they want to be."

"Can we get in touch with them, in anyway? Maybe if we just explain to them that all we want is to explain everything no repercussions." Murray poked his head up from the fridge.

He marched over and sat next to Sly, "Hold the hotdog Sly, there's no way Seth is not getting some type of punishment for this! He stole our Cooper van!"

Sly looked over at him, "And Bonnie stole my cane and Morgan stole the Thievius Raccoonus. Would you have done it?"

Murray ate a cookie he'd had in his hand, "You're right, we all woulda done it if we coulda back then."

Sly stood up, "Exactly! So what if we just try to reach the children and explain to them that we don't want to harm them or split them up or make them go back to the lives they had. What if we try and explain that we aren't the enemies."

Murray munched more cookies, "Would Carmelita" he paused to swallow, "be on board with that?"

Sly shook his head, "Honestly, I don't really care if she is. She's just as bad as us in a not-so-bad kind of way! I'll give Bonnie the choice, judging by the current situation we are in, she would choose to come with me. If I know Carmelita and boy do I, she'll oppose and push Bonnie further into my arms! It's genius!"

Bently let out a sigh, "There's a problem with your philosophy Sly, Morgan is really good at what she does. She's learned the things I've learned these long years. Her technological skills are at my level and if not there they are advanced. She blocks any signal I try to put out. If I find a way to stall the kids, she finds a way around it. There's nothing I can do to get in touch with the children."

As he finished, the monitor in the front of the plane started ringing. All three of them looked to see the name _Bonnie Cooper_ requesting a thiefnet video chat. "I'm sorry Bentley, but what's that then?" Sly asked.

Bently did a quick background check on the video and found no location but was able to confirm that it was indeed Bonnie Cooper. "I…uh…found them."

"Oh did you?" Sly asked. "Hit answer!"

Bently hit the enter key on his key board and the screen started to connect. The gang fell silent no one knew what to expect. Sly especially, his daughter was going to be right before him. Not physically but in some sort. The idea was still there, but he just couldn't control his thoughts. His daughter, Bonnie Cooper.

The screen finally flicked on and in that moment they were eye to eye, well webcam to webcam. It was all three of them. Morgan who he hadn't seen since she was probably five or so. Seth he hadn't seen since he was probably younger than that. He still wore that backwards hat atop his purple head, he really was a spitting image of Murray. However Sly was most intrigued by the spitting image he saw of Carmelita. A foxy girl with the Cooper cane. His mouth fell slightly agape, he took in his daughter standing relatively before him, and it all really depended on how you saw the scenario. Sly shook his head slightly and tried to ignore his wit for the sake of the situation at hand.

"Bonnie," was all Sly could muster. He hid his sorrow for missing her life, for not knowing of her existence, all the better to hide it behind his comedic-like sarcasm. "Long time no see kid."

Morgan looked once over at Bonnie, immediately sensing the way she was slightly taken aback by that statement. She couldn't figure out what Bonnie was actually thinking whether she detected his sarcasm or not, nevertheless she hoped Bonnie would start saying something soon so the plan could work.

Sly didn't mean to be a bit sarcastic with his daughter, he was just being his not-so-serious self, he was sure everyone knew that serious was just something Sly wasn't. He eagerly awaited her response. Seconds ticked by and he just stared at her and she did him. He almost begged her to speak, just because he never got to hear her voice, in this moment he wanted to.

Bonnie shook her thoughts, _he was being comedic he's never seen you before nor you him_. _The plan Bonnie you have to talk or they'll get suspicious_. "Haha," was all she could muster at the moment. A few more seconds of rushed thinking passed. "Quite funny wouldn't you say though? Long time should really have been phrased 'whole life no see kid.'" Sly looked defeated, Bonnie knew she was dancing on his emotions. She had to whether she wanted to or not, _just a few more minutes_ she thought.

"You know I'm assuming as well as I do kid. Carmelita kept you from me."

"Actually coon, I've got a name, it's Bonnie. Also, I don't remember assigning blame in my previous statement."

Sly's expression grew slightly angered. She was pretty ballsy, even for his daughter. "You don't wanna wage war with us, Bonnie." He spit out her name as if he'd been chewing on something bitter. "For heaven's sake we are your parents, shouldn't you like be listening to us?"

Morgan looked at her father, "Yeah and staying confined in the lab all our lives."

Seth caught on and stared at his father through the webcam, "Oh let's not forget having to stay put under someone else's watch because you say you have to go, all the time."

Bonnie smiled, "Or growing up without knowledge of any of this, listening to mom 'Stay with your uncle, Bonnie, I've gotta find Sly.' Or learning to survive on your own, raising yourself because mommy and daddy ran off together and had another kid and lived the dream while ignoring you. Don't worry Sly, I listened. I listened so well that I started to believe that all I was, was an accident. Don't worry though I know that I'm more than that now. I'm Bonnie Cooper, next generation of the Cooper Legacy. You're the one who left your cane with my mom, you're the one who dismounted your thrown. Now it belongs to me Mr. Cooper.

Bonnie noticed for the first time that Bentley was actually losing focus on the screen and she couldn't have that. She thought quickly thankfully she didn't have to continue to drag on about her feelings, she feared her anger would combust into tears. When Morgan took initiative and interrupted.

"Hey Bentley," she turned toward Morgan who she heard the call from, Bentley turned to face his daughter, disappointment in his eyes. "How's…" she faltered "How is mom doing?"

Bentley wheeled toward the webcam, he looked really defeated and Morgan felt a twinge of guilt, she basically stripped away his title of "dad" and she knew it hit him where it hurt. "She's worried about you Morgan, we're all," he turned and made a gesture toward Murray and Sly, then changed his gaze to Bonnie and then flicked it over to Seth. "We're not trying to harm you, we just want you to come back so we can figure this whole thing out together."

Morgan heard a faint beeping sound and from the looks of it everyone else did too. "And go back to isolation from the world again, no thanks." She ran off camera and pressed a few buttons on her keyboard. For the first time Sly turned around and noticed that no one was focused on anything other than the kids. The screen monitor of Bentley's laptop let out an electric surge and then died. Murray backed away and Sly brought his gaze back to his daughter.

"This was a set up to hack the plane!"

Bonnie smiled, "What a day is it when the children outsmart the parents. Morgan totally out Bently-ied her dad, Seth well, Seth out Murray-ied Murray and I, I out Coopered you Sly."

Bentley tried to regain control of the plane and his tech, "They've got total control of everything! From the plane to the communications with headquarters. I've lost control of everything!"

Sly and Murray toppled over as the plane rapidly began to descend. Bentley tried to fiddle with the controls in the cockpit but was out of luck, "The rate at which we are descending could lead to fatalities if the plane doesn't land properly." The webcam still remained up. Sly tried to stand but he started flopping all over the place. Murray tried to grab the parachutes in the back of the plane but the door was locked and armed, since none of the systems were running he couldn't punch in the code and retrieve them. Feeling crushed and unstable considering the plane was throwing him around, he climbed into the nearest chair and fastened his seatbelt.

"Sly grab my hand I'll pull you over." He said from his seat

Sly ignored him. He pushed forward through an army crawl grabbing whatever furniture, or kink in the plane he could just to propel himself forward. The plane was falling fast now and the force was pushing him backward with a might so strong he had to use all of his strength to fight the laws of physics. He tried to make it to the webcam and was barely able to get his words out. "You can't just kill us!"

Bonnie looked at him perplexed. "That's not in the plan." She quickly looked at Morgan with concern. "Morgan they could die, what's happening?"

She simply shook her head. "The plane controls didn't come through my virus yet. I don't know how long it will take."

Bonnies eyes flashed to the screen as she saw he father crawling toward the camera. Could she have just killed the man she wanted to find ever since she knew who he was? Sure she had a vendetta but his death was not what she wanted, all she wanted was freedom. She couldn't live with herself if something happened to him. She glanced at Seth and he seemed a bit tortured with the idea himself.

"Morgan do something now!" Seth yelled over to her.

"I'm trying!" she yelled back clearly panicked.

Bonnie froze in the moment. Time suddenly stopped. She looked at her father disappointment and sadness in his eyes. She listened as Bentley called from out of view " _We're approaching 30,000 feet."_

Morgan stopped briefly as if the thought had just struck her, sure they had all felt oppressed in their former lives, but they couldn't just kill their parents. She was at a loss for what to do. She turned to face Bonnie. "The only way to give them back control would be to terminate my virus. They'd eventually find us."

Bonnie turned her gaze back to Sly. He had reached the camera for the webcam and was holding on to the railing close by. "Listen Bonnie, he tried yell over the plane. I never knew you were alive, I never knew you were my daughter. However that doesn't mean I don't love you already. You're everything I could have hoped the next generation Cooper could be. Take care of your brother if you ever find him, and try not to be too hard on your mother. Now you'll really only have her."

Bonnie let out a tear she didn't know she was holding. "Morgan I didn't want this, none of us want this."

Bentley screamed from the cockpit, "20,000 feet and declining."

"You don't think I know that! The controls could come through any second, and I could land the plane safely. If I give them control back they can find our transmission signal we would have a find a new place to go. What should I do Bonnie?" she asked, frantic after hearing her father's voice explaining how close they were to the ground.

Sly looked down embracing the imminent, he didn't think his daughter could have it in her to do this. "You don't need to see this." He switched off the webcam and the kids were no longer looking at the tragedy. Bonnie's heart raced, she just met her father and now she left him plummeting to his death.

She started to cry and noticed the others did the same. "Morgan!" she yelled. "What are you waiting for an invitation? Kill the damn virus!"

She clicked feverishly for a few seconds and typed a few disarming codes into her laptop, "it's disabled."

"Bonnie can you bring them back up?" Seth asked a little misty eyed himself.

Morgan pushed her computer away and rose to face her comrades. "The communications are still down. I don't know how long their systems will take to reboot after fending my virus."

"What does that mean Morgan?" Seth asked giving into his tears.

"Exactly what you think it means Seth." Bonnie said as she fell to her knees. "We could have just killed our parents."

*** Authors Note***

I would like to formally apologize for being so late in writing the next chapter. I know chapter five was kind of dry but I needed it to get some character development. I hope this one sparked up some more interest in you to not lose total faith in me!

Please remember I am a full time college student and with all my assignments and papers and even balancing some social life in the mix I have been very busy lately! Thanks for your patience with me and I will try my hardest to not leave you stranded with the cliff hanger for too long! Thanks for reading, helpful criticism would be appreciated. Also I would like to apologize formally for misspelling Bentley's name, the whole time I forgot the other "e" that goes in it, an error I've corrected in this chapter and will continue to correct throughout the rest of the story. Input would be appreciated and thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Mr. I'll make a Cooper out of you

The sun had set leaving behind the chilly night air. Carmelita sat impatiently in a spinning chair at a desktop of the lab back on Kaine Island, waiting for the communication lines to come up again. Clyde was playing with some old blocks that Penelope found in the attic of their house for him in the corner, he looked so peaceful. Carmelita took note of the fact that he was ignorant to the cruelties of the world around him. She feared having to tell her son that his father wouldn't be coming home ever again.

Penelope fought her tears the hardest she could. She'd noticed when Bentley paged her to listen and watch the webcam chat Morgan had had with the gang through a secret camera, she'd heard Morgan's sweet voice asking how she was. _I'm fine baby girl, please come home._ She remembered whispering to herself. She clicked and ticked her keyboard until her head fell into her arms on top of the desk and she let her tears loose. She didn't want to believe what she knew she had to, the illuminating fear that her husband was gone, not Morgan gone, but dead, had started to sink in.

She squeaked out a few sobs and lost her will to even try to fight them anymore. Her drones would be arriving at the wreckage within the hour and she couldn't bear to look at what they'd find. She felt a hand on her shoulder, of all people Carmelita Fox, the once bane of her and the gang's existence, was now standing over her knowing she needed comfort. It felt too surreal to her, almost impossible. Her husband who she woke up this morning thinking they had years upon years left was probably gone. Her daughter who she kept close always for the sake of helping her knowledge grow and expand, but mostly to keep safe was also lost in the world, and now this, Carmelita Fox standing over her watching her sob into her arms.

She lifted her head momentarily and stared blankly at the computer screen. Her sadness was evolving into an anger fueled by a hate that she'd felt so long ago, a hate that had a newfound purpose. She felt a fuel burning inside her, her insides grew warm and her expression turned angry. She slowly turned her head to her shoulder and moved it enough to push Carmelita's hand off. She rose to her feet and turned to face her completely. The anger in her eyes burned a hole in Carmelita's soul. Penelope felt this and let it be her defense, her cope, she took out what she'd been holding in ever since Carmelita arrived here in the first place.

Carmelita stepped back, she knew Penelope was upset but she couldn't place why she'd suddenly turned against her. She felt the burden of the silence and knew that something was brewing inside of Penelope, a mix of emotions that she was about to blow on her. Without thinking she looked over to Clyde hoping Penelope could at least wait until he was out of the room. "Clyde, it's time for bed, go back to the room we stayed in last night with daddy okay?" Clyde put the blocks down and obliged.

"Okay mommy, is daddy coming home tonight?"

Her heart skipped a beat and she felt immense sadness. She simply shook her head and behind sorrowful words all she said was "Not tonight."

As expected Penelope's expression softened but only briefly and only long enough for Clyde to clear the room. When Carmelita turned her gaze back, she was ready to fire her loaded emotional gun, one that had been counting down, one that was lit and ready to blow.

"I know you are angry Penelope, but there's."

"Stop," Penelope interrupted Carmelita's rational. She saw it as more of a plea for mercy. That was something Penelope couldn't spare her right now, probably not ever again. "This whole mess started because of your incompetence as a police officer, your incapability to be a mother, but most of all, your blatant disregard for the people who've been helping you the past few days even though you deserve nothing, NOTHING, from them at all."

Carmelita's head fell to her chest as she took everything Penelope dished out. "You couldn't have just told Bonnie from the start? You couldn't just let her know Sly Cooper was her damn father? You are the reason she went rouge, you're the reason my daughter and Seth followed. Now you've got Sly, Murray, and…and my husband's death on your hands. You spent all that time hunting those three like dogs, and you…" Penelope stopped for a moment.

Carmelita looked up to meet her gaze perplexed. Penelope gazed far off as if realizing something important she'd forgotten to do. "Dogs." She repeated again.

Carmelita raised an eyebrow. "Listen Penelope I know you're grieving but I don't know what-"

Penelope shushed her, "I don't care what you have to say. I've no desire to hear your pathetic words of comfort, this is all on you and I hope you carry it with you forever. I've got a bigger fish to fry, or should I say dog to catch."

"Well I don't care if you want my opinion or not, my daughter is still missing and if you have a lead I want to know."

Penelope rolled her eyes, but she knew Carmelita wouldn't budge, _just like she wouldn't take responsibility for her damn actions_ she thought. _Come on Penelope focus_. If she had to be clued in maybe it would shut her up and keep Carmelita off her tail. "Dogs, well specifically one dog, Mugshot, remember hauling him in."

Carmelita shook her head in acknowledgement, "Yeah that was the guy I hauled in after Sir Raleigh, how could I forget? I had missed catching Sly Cooper that time too."

"That is no different than every other time you've tried to catch Sly Cooper. Anyway, exactly how could you or I or anyone forget? Bentley used to love telling the stories about him! The video transmission the kids sent, the lighting, the sky in the background it looked too, bright almost tropical but slightly barren."

"I don't understand." She said.

Penelope rolled her eyes, "Of course you don't. The gang and us, we knew enough about the kid's whereabouts that they were traveling to some of Sly's first heist gigs."

"Yes but how do you know they're in Mesa City?"

"The weather, the brightness of the area they were in. Sir Raleigh's fortress was hidden in rain and dark skies; Mz. Ruby was in the musty grim bayou, Panda King, now our ally, still in China, snow and cloudy skies, then Russia for Clockwerk, just as snowy, except volcanic and dark just the same. The only warm place any of those missions included was Mesa City. That's where those kids are I know it."

"Okay it makes sense, but how can we convince them to come back here?"

Penelope shut her computer down and started to disengage the rest of the lab. "I'm sorry, we?"

Carmelita followed her as she exited the lab and placed her hand on the locking pad. "Yes we I'm coming with you."

Penelope walked out of the study of her home that Bentley used to read in and tell Morgan all kinds of stories from his heisting days and her heart twisted with pain. "Thanks for the offer but you coming along would make things so much worse. Stay here with Clyde until I come back, you're allowed to use the facilities and treat this place as if you lived here. It…It needs something of a family to keep it feeling homey. I'll be back, and I'm bringing those kids with me."

Penelope strode into the kitchen and punched in a security code by the back door. "Override security measures."

A speaker in the wall proceeded to repeat those words, " _Overriding security measures. Please state command access code."_

Penelope faltered, "Access code: 678 Bentley and Penelope"

" _Access code accepted, state your security measure."_

"Add proxy to house security protocol measures, grant them access to the grounds minus the lab entrance, lab itself and all the floors in between including the hangar. Do not grant full override privileges of subject's locational limits, access and alert me if the subjects leave the grounds or make changes to the system immediately. I'll be flying in jet 8, my personal one. Enlist me as the new head of household."

" _Specifications set, initiate proxy voice command."_

She looked at Carmelita, "Say your name."

Carmelita looked a bit confused, "Carmelita Fox."

" _Security proxy, Carmelita Fox granted access to the household grounds and areas within jurisdiction and necessary security measures."_

Penelope pushed a button and the voice went away. "The house security system will now recognize your voice and you will be protected. Be warned if anything happens or if you leave you will be restrained by the security bots and won't be released until I can retrieve you."

Carmelita just nodded in understanding. "I'll be here with Clyde until you come back." Penelope headed back into the study and reopened the lab door just to give her passage through it. Then it shut and locked behind her. Carmelita was once again alone, and having to hope for the best once again. However this time there was a little more heartbreak in her than ever before. "I'll miss you Sly." She muttered as she heard the faint sound of a jet taking off. Alone.

"Mommy?" she turned to see Clyde standing just behind the wall of the study that led to the stair case. "Where's Aunt Penelope going?"

Carmelita just went over and kneeled down to hug him, "she is going to go find your sister."

He grew wide eyed, "I have a sister?"

"Yes you do honey, and she is going to meet you hopefully very soon. But for now it's time to get you in the bath and ready for bed."

Together they walked upstairs.

*Mesa City, Utah*

Morgan sat by a fire huddled in a blanket; she'd refused any of the hotdogs that Seth had made. She just sat motionless staring at the flames as they flickered. No one said anything. They all sat in remorse and silently filled themselves with false hope. Seth's grieving was different, he gorged himself in the food that they'd had. He couldn't stop eating. He was becoming his father, but it was that thinking that made him eat more. He didn't want to feel his feelings he was too hurt, so he filled himself up to the brim and then some just to avoid any shred of feeling that could sneak up on him.

Bonnie was different she snuck away from the crew, in a not so sneaky way. She more or less walked away from the fire and the van. She took the Thievius Raccoonus with her and started to read it. She was able to manage the pipe climbing, jumping and perching atop certain surfaces. She climbed to the tallest building she could find amongst the few that mugshot owned. She wound up on top of the one with the busted neon lights and she just looked out over the desert skies and felt the pain she knew she would feel eventually. The night had crept in slowly that day, when they were all surrounded by darkness it felt even more surreal.

All along they were one step ahead, too good at what they were doing for their own good. Now they were potentially murderers, and of their own parents no less. The longer she looked at the skies the longer she contemplated if she should have ever left home. Granted she thought Sly dead all those years, he actually wasn't. If she never left, Sly…her dad would still be alive. She sat on the ledge of the building and put her head in her hands. "What is wrong with me?" she asked no one in particular. "I should have never left. Morgan would be with her parents, Seth wouldn't have to indulge himself to ignore the hurt. My dad, Morgan's dad, and Seth's, they'd all still be alive."

She shook her head and began to cry. Her thoughts snuck up on her once again leaving her feeling like she was responsible. She knew she was. She let herself lay back on the roof as her feet dangled off the side of the roof. She stared up at the stars in between tears when her vision wasn't as blurred by them. There was nothing she could do, but she kept telling herself what she would have done to disregard the repercussions of what she had done. After that webcam went down and Morgan disabled the virus, there was an eerie sense of lost will. None of them wanted to be the thieves or the momentous heisters who heisted their master thief parents.

Morgan hasn't touched a computer, Seth didn't volunteer to drive/fly to a new location, and herself, well she didn't suggest either of them do anything of the sort anyway. As horrible as she felt she could only imagine how much harder it was for her comrades. They'd gotten to be with their fathers their whole life. Memories, relationships, love, it was all there, those two had more to lose, and yet she still hurt.

Granted she'd only known Sly Cooper as her father for two days now, she's heard of him her whole life. Hearing of him, being abandoned and forgotten because of him. She had never brought herself to blame her dad though, half the time she'd liked being away from her mother whenever possible. She let out a sigh. The more she thought on it the more she thought that she shouldn't even rejoin the crew for the night. They've been friends forever, she was the newcomer. The newcomer who ruined everything. Up here on the building is where she felt safe.

They'd lost so much more than she had, and she felt the one to blame. She didn't want to keep moving forward, to find a new place to hideout and train. She knew deep down the others didn't either. Deep in her heart of hearts she just knew that all three of them had given in, they had wanted the signal to be tracked and they had wanted to be found by their fathers. The heist is over, the next generation lost. Bonnie was willing to surrender the cane if it meant her dad could come back. Instinctively she rolled to her side and brought her feet up from dangling as she clutched the Cooper cane, all she had left of her father, the notorious Sly Cooper.

She wept well into the night, until her mind gave out and surrendered her body to nightmare infested sleep.

*Kaine Island*

Carmelita tucked Clyde into bed and strolled downstairs into the office, she began to release her emotions, the sorrow, the pain and, the love so strong. She sat at the desk and began to see if she could have access to the computer, she needed an outlet to take her mind off of things. "Security system, can you grant me access to this computer."

" _Proxy Carmelita Fox I will ask the head of household one moment please…"_ A minute passed. _"Access has been granted to utilize electronic facilities without granting access to the lab."_

Carmelita was amazed with the technology. It was leagues beyond what they had at the precinct. When the computer unlocked thiefnet was up and running so she scrolled through for a bit. She saw a few things that struck her interest, Jean Bison had escaped custody this morning, and The Monkey Lisa was stolen from an art museum back in Europe and was now for sale!

She didn't understand what motivated a thief, she didn't let it deter her though. She kept scrolling and was really interested. How could she have not stumbled upon such a website before, she beat herself up wondering about how many times Sly could have been on here. Finding him would have been easier if she'd known of it.

The scrolling continued on for another ten minutes or so until she'd discovered an article on a rogue thief that came out of Paris, except this time it wasn't about Bonnie. She read further a little perplexed with the idea. How many bad things could happen in Paris in one week?

 _Miss. Fox, the head of household is attempting to reach you. The drone footage of the plane wreckage has been recovered. Shall I patch it through to the current desktop you are using?_

Carmelita hesitated, with all of her being she knew she wasn't going to like what she saw, but she knew she had to know. "Patch it through."

In a few seconds time the computer screen changed into a video playing format. She watched in horror. The plane had indeed crashed and there was no sign of either Bentley, Murray or Sly. She looked at the crumpled steel and the flames rising from the disconnected cockpit. All she could make out of the wreckage was a pretty damaged wheelchair, but with no Bentley in it. Tears filled her eyes. She had hoped for any shred of evidence, something to signal that they were alive, but looking at the disfigured plane, the sprawled out burning debris, she knew the chances were unlikely.

She let her tears fall, embracing the hard truth. She'd heard that transmission as well as Penelope. Carmelita knew that the gang's survival was unlikely, she also knew that it made her daughter a murderer. She was merely a petty thief back in Paris, escaping as well as her father used to. Right under their noses right out from under her grasp. However this? It was worlds away from what Sly used to do. She fought the idea for a while, tossed it around quite often in her head, but ultimately she knew, as a former officer of the law. Murder was murder. Her daughter, a murderer, she couldn't take the pain. It filled her soul and she screamed out her sorrow. Sly was now actually dead, the hunt is officially over, and her daughter? Her daughter had to be brought to justice. She messed with the bull, in the most awful way possible, now she gets the horns.

The household security system made a ding and pulled up a holographic image of a plane heading this way. _Miss Fox I'm detecting an oncoming bogey plane with an unidentified personal manning it. Shall I activate security protocol and remove the plane from the sky?_

She looked at the plan that was approaching her location, she wiped her eyes to see clearer. "Security can you zoom in on the pilot?" The security system obeyed and once she saw who it was she replied. "No disengage security measures!"

 _Any reason being Miss. Fox? Bogeys do not appear frequently around our location. It is unlikely that the pilot is lost. My sensors detect that the pilot could be hostile or have harmful motives._

Carmelita rolled her eyes through some tears that still wound up falling, "He won't be hostile." She muttered. "I know him, disengage security protocol, open up the rooftop landing pad. That's an order."

 _Your demand has been received. Security protocol disengaged and the rooftop landing pad has been displayed. The head of household has been alerted of the disruption to the security system._

Carmelita wiped her eyes, she didn't want to be alone and she knew he would understand. She didn't know how he found her, but she was sure it would be explained. She climbed up to the roof just as the plane had landed firmly she still felt somber but she knew she would soon have comfort. The drone footage really took its toll on her.

He came out of the plane and approached her. She didn't hesitate, "I don't know how you did it but thank goodness you found me I could use someone to talk to right now."

He tilted his head to the left and cracked his neck. "The time for talking is long over Carmelita."

Her eyes grew wide however no longer containing sadness, but fear. He lunged forward and she found herself in a brawl that she wasn't equipped to handle.

*A plane headed west*

Penelope let the footage deter her thoughts more than she had wanted too. When she saw Bentley's wheelchair she had to put the plane in autopilot and sit in the communal chairs to just weep. Her daughter had gone too far, all of those kids had gone too far. Her husband was dead, her friends were dead. All at the hands of their very children, her very own daughter apart of it.

She silently hoped that the kids hadn't run from the location Penelope had known they'd be at. She hoped they'd at least feel enough pain to not want to run anymore. When she was emotionally stable enough to regain control of the plane she sent the footage to the desktop Carmelita had requested earlier. As annoyed as she was at Carmelita, she knew it would hurt her too. They both had connections to the gang, whether it was actually being in it, or chasing them from the get-go. Both ways there were ties to the gang, and they were both affected by them. Penelope tried to consider that as she hoped Carmelita was okay after seeing the footage.

Not long after it was sent a message came up across her dashboard.

 _Security protocol's disengaged, unidentified bogey approaching household. Miss. Fox knew the culprit and allowed entrance. This is your notice._

Penelope shook her head, no one has been able to find Kaine Island in years. She pulled up the footage, _so how did this guy?_ She asked herself. "Security do not disengage the systems defense lines. Just because Carmelita knows him doesn't mean anything."

 _It is too late Miss Penelope the culprit has landed, Video footage of his arrival is transmittable._

"Pull it up then please."

Penelope flicked the plane into autopilot and watched the holographic video footage of the strange man dismounting his plane. She watched him get off onto landing pad and approach Carmelita. She had said something and he had replied, then he lunged for her and they fell down the hatch back into the house. Penelope silently cursed for not having cameras in the house. She didn't think she'd ever need them, they were safe and no one could find them. "Security lock down Clyde's room and activate defense lines around his room." She silently prayed Carmelita could handle herself. However she knew Clyde couldn't so she made sure he was safe. "No overrides permitted to Clyde's bedroom door without my knowledge first. Oh, and security, however you can find ways to help Carmelita in that fight do it. I have to get these kids before they leave Mesa City."

 _Requests received._ She really didn't need this at the moment. The kids were still loose and hopefully feeling extreme regret for all of this now, and now someone had invaded her home and put her and Bentley's work in jeopardy. Their home could get destroyed and her world just seemed to start crumbling apart and she certainly didn't like it. She looked at the dash, two hours before her arrival at Mesa City, she was determined now to just retrieve the kids. That's top of the to-do list. No matter how awful she felt or how devastated she had to ignore her feelings for the sake of getting the kids back. In her heart she knew seeing the kids would crush her soul, a bunch of murderer misfits who bit off way more than they could chew. _Penelope stop. You heard Bentley's transmitter they didn't want this. They will feel remorse so much so that they will probably willingly come with you. Just handle it as a mother would, not as a vengeful…widow would._ She tried to tame herself with her thoughts. She didn't know how seeing the kids would play out. There was a swirl of emotions inside her, and they only thing she knew for certain was that one way or another they were going to come out.

*Mesa City Dawn*

Morgan sat upright, she'd realized that she must've fallen asleep on the log she was sitting on last night. The fire had hushed greatly and Seth looked sound asleep. She wondered how true that was. She huddled herself a little more in her blanket because the brisk morning air sent a shiver down her spine. The second she could regain logical thought, she thought of her father and cried. She didn't know what happened to him, and with all her heart she wanted to know that he got control of the plane after she killed her virus.

It was wishful thinking though, and she let herself feel the pain surround her. She rose to her feet and surveyed the area, wondering where Bonnie had gone off too. She disappeared last night when everyone felt really miserable and ashamed. Morgan hoped Bonnie didn't blame herself for this. She had a fluent track record of doing that, for some reason she just failed to understand why. She had stolen from her parents and left on her own to save Bonnie. She was the one who got Seth involved, and Seth willingly came. Bonnie was too hard on herself, they were all at fault here.

She looked around the disheveled city for a few more moments before she heard a mysterious beeping sound coming from the van. She rushed over to it and realize that a video call was trying to come in through thiefnet. She answered immediately, not caring who had found them. She was quite disarmed and ridden with guilt and immense sadness when she saw her mother on the other line.

"Mom," she muttered through a sob filled voice.

Penelope looked equally as sad. "Yeah baby girl it's me." They were silent for a few seconds before both of them simultaneously erupted the silence with "Sorry"

"Mom you have no reason to be sorry, all you wanted was to keep me safe and I didn't understand that and now I've…I've murdered my own father." She fell to her knees and cried loudly. Seth stirred a little from the other side of the camp they'd set up but he didn't wake and if he did he didn't show any signs to give that away. Even if he did Morgan wouldn't have cared. She was grieving at her mistake. All of their mistakes.

Penelope's only answer was tears just the same. She tried to find the words but she just couldn't do it over a video call. "Morgan I'm approaching your position, do not leave please honey this needs to end. We will figure this out together okay? I'll be there soon."

Morgan didn't know how her mother had found them, but she just didn't care. The video chat ended and she strolled back toward the camp. This was over, she was ready to retire before even starting. Seth apparently did wake up cause he was sitting upright against the log Morgan had slept on during the night and was staring into the ashes of the dying fire. "So it's over then huh?" he asked.

She sat beside him, "Do you really want to continue?"

A tear escaped his eye, "No."

They shared a small side hug and sat in silence for a few minutes. Seth broke it when he asked, "Where's Bonnie?"

Morgan shrugged, "She disappeared into the night, and she probably blames herself again." With everything he had Seth wanted to blame her too. Their dads were dead and it all started with Bonnie, but he knew inside it wasn't true. He didn't want to accept the blame that he shared just as much as her and Morgan did. He willingly came along and because of that he was involved, without any blame on Bonnie.

He looked up toward the broken down buildings on his right. "Well she shouldn't, and I hope she'll come to us because I'm too distraught to look for her."

Morgan agreed silently, "My mom found us, she'll be here soon."

"So what happens now?"

"We go home?" Morgan answered his question with another, however she asked it a bit somberly.

"What home?" Seth asked,

She didn't have an answer, she didn't know what would come of them. They sat in silence until they heard a plane in the distance from overhead. "Come on," She said, "We'll pack up camp before my mom lands and we'll find Bonnie when she gets here." The two started cleaning and packing the van again as the plane overhead began to descend. Once it hit the ground it was about 300 feet from the camp.

Seth walked over and put his arm around Morgan as the landing pad began to open, "Whatever happens, I'm glad I got to experience freedom while I had it."

She looked up at him shedding a tear, "Me too, except I know now that freedom comes with a cost." They both hugged and tried to stay strong knowing they'd have to embrace whatever punishment came their way, even if neither one of them cared very much regardless.

As they broke the hug, they waited in silence for a few minutes for Penelope to get off the plane. However when someone did get off the plane, it wasn't Penelope. Morgan's eyes lit up so wide. "Seth that's my dad!" He squinted a little and saw that old turtle trudging along in a wheel chair toward the two of them.

"Wait what?" He looked harder, another figure dismounted the plane and he saw his father. "Dad?" he hesitated before screaming, "DAD!" He didn't wait, he started running. He looked briefly to his side only long enough to realize that Morgan was doing the same. They ran so fast that the sadness and pain they'd felt was falling away at the sight of their parents.

On the roof of one of the buildings where Bonnie had been sleeping, she woke suddenly and with rapid breaths due to a loud noise that shook her loose from yet another nightmare. She stood gripping the cane to see a plane landing a few hundred feet from the camp where she'd spotted Morgan and Seth, not long after that she saw them running towards it. She squinted to see but she didn't have that great of a view. She crawled down a few pipes trying to get closer to the ground.

When her vision got a little better, she squinted yet again but this time she made out two figures coming out of the plane. She saw Seth run into what she assumed was his father's arms. Then she saw Morgan hug her dad so sweetly. They were alive. Bonnie was ecstatic for them, the only problem was she didn't see her father, she didn't see Sly. She sat on the edge she had climbed down on feeling a little defeated. Maybe he just didn't want anything to do with her. Why would he? She almost killed him, she stole his family heirloom. She was not the type of kid even a thief would want.

She looked down at the other two feeling happy for them. She never wanted them to lose what they almost had. She couldn't help but smile, maybe she could forgive herself now that they would be okay. She watched for a few more minutes before a voice broke her thoughts.

"Quite a view up here." She jumped in alarm and wielded her cane in an attack ready position. For the first time ever she was looking directly at her father, physically standing before her was Sly Cooper. She was so excited and yet very cautious while seeing the man who'd almost been the center of her life as much as her mothers. He continued to speak sensing her bewilderment. "Yeah, Bentley picked up another body from his thermal scanner on the roof before he landed. I knew it had to be you so I used my paraglide on the way down, got here just before you woke up actually."

"You…You're not dead," was all she could muster.

He folded his arms and leaned against a nearby pipe. "Sorry that disappoints you."

She stuttered for a moment. "No well I, I didn't mean, it's not like that."

Sly laughed, "Relax there kid, I'm just being sarcastic."

Bonnie tried to smile she couldn't get one out. Her thoughts raced a mile a minute. This was her father, and yet also the bane of her existence. Everything she did wound up getting her in this position. Her curiosity grew stronger with each passing moment. Howver she couldn't decide if she should run away or run into his arms and be glad she had a father. This was strange for her; she could only imagine how strange it was for him. Through a crippling silence that she knew both of them felt, she tried to ask the questions that she needed answers too. "How did you-"

"Find you? Survive?" he interrupted, "it wasn't hard really. Bentley knew what you were doing the minute you tried to video chat us, he was informed of an unidentified installation of some type of virus that he assumed Morgan developed. Just as you tried to keep us talking on that chat line, we were doing the same. He had some tech etched into his wheelchair and he typed a message that relayed into our ear pieces so we were all in on it, fortunately when he wheeled closer to the camera you couldn't see his hands moving. He even turned on a separate video chat with Penelope his wife, and Carmelita your mother. Anyway, he rigged the controls on the plan to fail regardless. He knew the virus couldn't get control of the plane's cockpit if he rigged them to fail before it was even encrypted into our system. That's why when the plane was fully out of our control we knew it wasn't in yours either because we began to descend."

"Wait so you played us? You let us all think you were dead."

Sly shrugged as he stopped leaning on the wall and walked closer to Bonnie. She retreated a few steps and Sly knew why. This was all very strange, like really strange. He saw it a little bizarre himself. He thought of it as if he was saying " _Hey it's me your long lost father who you didn't know but wound up stealing all his family heirlooms and then parading around the world trying to escape him and then I faked my own death along with my colleagues to make sure you felt awful, like accidental murderer awful. Because I knew you'd blame yourself, we figured you'd stay put so we could find you. Now hug me I'm your dad._ He shook his head at the thought. It didn't make much sense to even him, but there was still more to discuss he had to push passed the awkwardness before she tried to escape or fight him or who knows.

"We knew that if we had let you believe we were dead, you would feel remorse, you wouldn't want to run anymore. Part of you three would want us to find you just so you'd know if we were alive. Through your video chat Bentley couldn't completely figure out where you were because you had us all frantic. You almost won. However then the plane began to fall and we couldn't let you see us escape so I shut down the chat. It took a little bit of extra time but I got it off with about 15,000 feet to spare. Murray had pretended to be unable to smash the door holding the parachutes prior so it would look like you really had us. Once I shut it off he unbuckled and shakenly punched through the door. When you killed the virus, Bentley didn't try to regain control of the plane since it was either that or track your location. He synced up whatever info he could on you three and I grabbed him out of the wheelchair and fastened him to my parachute. We jumped to safety since we were still over Europe at the time we wound up landing in Greece."

"It doesn't make sense though, you knew we would stay here? How did you get here?"

Sly rolled his eyes, "You're good Bonnie you've gotten this far, but you've got a lot to learn. A simple plane high jacking and an hour of modifications and we were on our way. Now here we are."

Bonnie stood in silence. He was good, all of them were good. They played on her and Morgan and Seth's emotions and they knew it would work. That's quite the mastery skill. "Well I commend you Mr. Cooper," She said handing him the cane. "You've won fair and square."

Sly put his hand on the cane and took it back. He spun it in his hand and looked it up and down for a minute. Bonnie's eyes looked at the ground. In that moment he felt everything he'd missed. Birthday's year after year, birthdays that he even knew Carmelita missed because she had been chasing him. First words, first steps, first day of school. There was so much that he knew he'd never get back. His heart shattered, he wished he'd known so long ago. He wished he could have seen her grow up. Sure he had Clyde and he loved Clyde just as much, but finding out about her had shook his entire world, and then thrown it upside down. He couldn't lose her now, not after seeing her skill, seeing all that potential, hell she must have mastered some skill from the Thievius Raccoonus already to have gotten up here. She was everything he used to be, she's even given him the chance to relive the youth and great times he's had with the gang. He didn't want to lose any more time, he wanted her to be his daughter, and he wanted her to be the next Cooper legacy. "You know Bonnie, I have a name it's none of this Sly Cooper nonsense, its dad!" He handed her back the cane and looked her in the eyes as an attempt to show the love that he already knew he had for her.

She looked up at him to see that he was handing her back the cane. She couldn't understand why he was being so nice, especially after all of the havoc she'd caused the past few days. She looked a bit confused and Sly sensed this, he silently prayed that she would accept him nonetheless. "I don't understand. You don't want to send me back? Get revenge?" she asked.

Sly just laughed with a bit of unease coursing through his veins, "Though I've never known it, you're my daughter Bonnie. You're more like me than I'd like to admit. You got spunk kid, you just need some training is all. I'm impressed you've made it this far." He hoped even harder that she'd accept him now that he'd addressed the fact that she was his daughter. A few quite moments passed and he grew weary of whether she'd take the cane or deny his advances at his first attempt of being a father to her.

Though she was skeptical she eyed the cane and softly reached out to take it back. This was the start of a new life for her and though it was strange and a bit awkward for both of them, she knew that he was trying and that was enough to make her want to try too. "Thanks," there was a pause. She wanted to say what she'd been waiting to say for a couple of days now. Since the moment she found out, she just didn't know how accepting of it he'd be, however considering she'd almost lost him, she couldn't risk losing another moment she continued her gratitude with the preceding word, "Dad."

He looked up at her and smiled, not realizing that her acknowledgement of him being her dad could fulfill the greatest of wishes he didn't know he'd ever had. "Since it's been about sixteen years in the making, is it okay to ask my daughter for a hug?"

She hesitated, but knew that she wanted to hug her father too. All her life she'd been wondering about her father, thinking he'd left her. Hearing never ending stories about this magnificent Sly Cooper, never realizing he was the father she always wanted. She smiled right back at him and ran into his warming embrace. It felt like now she knew where she belonged, a missing piece of her had finally fallen into place.

A few moments passed before he broke the hug, "Come on let's regroup with the others, I brought an extra paraglider we can head down together." She harnessed herself in alongside her father and together they jumped and glided through the bright morning sky toward the landed plane. Through the wind blowing her face and just being near her father, the way the Cooper cane felt saddled against her back on the way down. Everything felt wonderful she laughed through the sky and couldn't lose her smile. She knew she was the heir to the cane, she was the heir to the legacy, the next generation Cooper, and she was glad her father wanted to hone in on the opportunity to help her grow and develop under his wing, well in this case paraglider. She smiled at the thought, with some training from her dad, she would be the next living Cooper Legend.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: I hate to be the party Cooper.

Penelope was estranged. Her whole world seemed to be falling apart at the seams. First her daughter goes rogue and vanishes with a stranger, now her husband is dead, and Carmelita lured some man to Kaine Island who had attacked her. She was within five minutes of landing and her radar had alerted her that another plane was already in Mesa City. Silently she prayed that the kids weren't trying to escape again. Then again another part of her prayed that it was her husband and friends, but she didn't get her hopes up. She saw that footage and she knew that hope wasn't something she could hold onto right now.

She tried to pinpoint the moment in her life when things started shifting from safe and protected to dangerous and sorrowful. She tried to manage her anger but one name stood out in particular. Carmelita Fox. How could anyone be so small minded and stupid? How could she just willingly abandon her daughter in search of her father. Find this father bore him another child. Leave both the father and the newborn child to return to the first child and dare say she has her child's best interest in mind?

Now she led some strange man to Kaine Island and he probably destroyed their home. Penelope felt for poor Clyde, he was so ignorant to what was going on. Ignorance may be bliss, but those walls are not sound proof. Clyde must have heard the struggle and she only hoped he'd be safe in the confines of his room. Penelope didn't know what to expect upon arrival back at Kaine Island, but she had to push those thoughts aside. Right now her top priority was retrieving the children.

The closer she got to Mesa City, the more her radar beeped about this other plane. She geared up for a fight and manned her defenses. "Security protocol for jet 8, engage defenses. There is a potential threat ahead." The plane obeyed her command and as it broke through the clouds during its descent onto Mesa City, she tried her best to make out the damage.

As the plane grew closer to the ground she had to switch it into autopilot because her tears clouded her eyes. She saw her Bentley and her Morgan stuck in embrace staring at her waiting for her arrival. She disengaged the defenses and ran to the loading dock of the plane. It wasn't her best idea ever considering the plane was still shakey and moving somewhat rapidly. However she didn't care. Once she knew the plane was sturdily in place not moving she opened the launch pad and saw her husband and daughter waiting there to see her.

She rushed down the ramp tears flowing from her eyes. So many emotions flowed through her as she embraced her loved ones. Relief, love, anger, misunderstanding, care, but most of all the togetherness that she never thought she'd feel again. She pulled away from the hug and felt immediate anger; it had been building up since last night. She slapped Bentley clean across the face and then sank into his arms and murmured out through some loud sobs. "How could you not fill me in, how could you let that happen. I was so worried, my heart was ripped out of me!"

Bentley held her back, he felt terrible for putting Penelope through that. However dire the situation seemed he knew it was a necessary precaution to only allow the gang to know about it. "We had to be prepared, in case we really didn't make it then there would be false hope and knowldege." His nasal congested voice was even more so nasally considering he was tearful too. "Besides, if the kids contacted you, we needed a raw response one that wouldn't leave them suspicious. But it seems that you knew what you were doing! You found them Penelope! You are an amazing woman."

She broke his embrace and looked him in the eyes then over to her daughter. She let him go then rushed to Morgan, "My family, my baby. We are together again."

She was so overcome with emotion she completely forgot about Carmelita, she sank into this moment with her family and relished in the gracefulness of it. She would have never broken that embrace had Murray and Seth come barreling up to them. Each exchanged hugs and discussed travel plans back to Kaine Island.

"Two planes and a flying car," Bentley said, "We can drive the car on board one of the planes. Penelope can fly one back and I'll fly the other. We'll split our passengers?"

Just then Sly came around to the landing pad with Bonnie at his side, "Sounds like a plan Bentley." He said.

Penelope looked Bonnie once over. Silently she wanted to blame Bonnie for everything, but she knew this girl had been through enough as well. "So you're the girl who started this new movement huh?"

Bonnie hung her head. Penelope could clearly see the sorrow. Bonnie tried not to feel hurt. She just didn't know how to feel. She'd caused so much destruction in the past few days. Granted now the destruction was a lot less than she'd previously thought, she still had a lot to make up for. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have tried to escape and separate everyone. All I really wanted was to find my dad and see if maybe he'd want to find me too. I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm sorry it came to this. I'm just glad everyone is safe and with the people that love them again. For any turmoil I caused, I'm so sorry."

Everyone looked at her, Morgan strolled over to her and place her right arm around her shoulders. "We chose this Bonnie. You were the spark not the whole fire. Don't blame yourself entirely. Each of us played a part. Everyone contributed to this somehow. The important thing is that you're with your family now." She paused and looked around, "We all are."

As Morgan went over to hug her mother again Sly placed a hand on her left shoulder. "Well not entirely, we still need to get back to Kaine Island. You've got to face your mother at some point. Also, you've got to meet your little brother!"

Bonnie's eyes lit up, she'd completely forgotten about them. Unfortunately up until this moment, so did Penelope. "Oh heavens no." Penelope said as she slapped her palm to her forehead. "We need to leave for Kaine Island right now."

Everyone looked perplexed by the urgency in her voice. "Mom is everything okay?" Morgan asked as Penelope started walking up the ramp to the plane.

She turned before entering and stated, "Bentley, Seth, Murray, load the van up onto the other plane and head back in that one." They obeyed even though they were a bit confused. She turned her gaze to Sly and Bonnie while the others set off to load the van. "You two better come with me. There's something important you need to see."

Sly and Bonnie met each other's gaze and they knew that they were on the same wave length. Something bad has happened to Carmelita and Clyde. Or just Carmelita. Or just Clyde. The point was they both knew something bad had happened, and their hopes for a family reunion were completely tarnished now. They rushed onto the plane and Morgan followed behind. It didn't take long for the plane to be hoisted in the air and the gang was heading back toward Kaine Island.

Penelope placed the plane in autopilot and joined her daughter and the Coopers in the lounging area. She sat next to her daughter and met Sly's eyes across the aisle. "I'm sorry for being so cryptic, I completely forgot that we were pressed for time. It's Carmelita, I left her with Clyde to watch over the house for a multitude of reasons. One being I didn't know how this one," she gestured at Bonnie, "Would react if she saw her mother here. I figured my best bet was to get the kids back to Kaine, and we'd figure it out from there. I also had a bit of resentment for her. I placed the blame for all of this on Carmelita's shoulders. I knew I couldn't take being around her for any longer than I had to be. However Morgan," she turned her head toward Morgan, "Showed me just before in Mesa City that we each played a part, and for blaming her I am sorry."

Sly leaned back confused, "Okay, yeah it makes sense why she's not here. However what doesn't make sense is why we are pressed for time? Is everything okay?"

Bonnie seemed to connect the dots, she sat forward in her chair and looked a little frantic. Penelope met her gaze. "What happened to my mom and brother?"

Penelope shook her head and sighed. "I gave her control of some of the houses security measures. I didn't think she'd need to use them but just in case. A rogue ship was heading toward Kaine, she claimed to know the piolet and she disengaged the security measures." She stood up and walked to the touch panel adjacent to the door leading into the cockpit. A holographic screen appeared before Morgan, Sly and Bonnie. Penelope relayed the footage.

Upon seeing the piolet Bonnie shot upright. "Stop the footage!" Penelope obliged and walked to the other side of the screen. Everyone was looking at Bonnie. She felt a lump in her throat? How did he? Nothing made sense right now. She panicked and her eyes moved swiftly back and forth between Morgan, her dad and Penelope. She tried to find the words to say. "That…" she paused. "That is my uncle! Uncle Carmelo. What did he do?"

Sly raised his eyebrows and looked at the rug, "Carmelita never told me she had a brother. Then again she never told me I had a daughter." He threw in sarcastically.

"She didn't really tell anyone, she didn't broadcast it very much. They worked at the same precinct except he was an average traffic cop. My mother was a detective."

Everyone was a little suspicious and silent until Penelope broke it by saying, "Well why did he attack her?"

Bonnie turned to her stunned, "What?"

Penelope resumed the footage. Bonnie could make out an exchanging of words but there was no sound. Then she saw her uncle pounce and tackle her mother down into the hatch from the roof. She walked closer to the screen a puzzled expression danced across her face. She turned to Penelope dazed and confused. "I don't understand what is happening?"

She shrugged, "I wish I knew, it sounds like you know more than I at this point."

They all sat in silence for a few minutes. Bonnie tried to work it over in her mind. "I don't understand how he could be out for my mom. I could understand him wanting to come after me, but mom? I don't know what he could want with her."

A moment passed and the security voice came over the planes intercom. _Further activity is currently taking place on the roof patching footage through now. Security systems badly damaged. Subject is still secure in bedroom however security failed at the door._

Everyone rose to their feet and stared at the screen. Bonnie walked up close and watched in horror. She saw her uncle climbing out of the roofs hatch leading to the landing pad. He was firing shots downward at what Bonnie assumed was a security protocol. However what horrified her most was seeing him carrying Carmelita bound at the hands and feet slung over his shoulder unconscious and bleeding from her scalp. He walked with his back toward the helicopter he piloted there and was shooting what Bonnie assumed were the security bots when his back brushed the copter he opened the piolet side. He threw Carmelita into the passenger seat and she flopped over, her head smacking the window. Bonnie cringed, she was already so hurt that couldn't have made it any better.

He climbed in after shooting a few more robot heads clean off and he began to ready the plane. One robot grabbed on as he began to rise off the ground but he just flew upward and the robot crashed into the camera, leaving the screen blackened and static. Bonnie felt a hand on her shoulder she turned to it and saw Morgan looking remorseful on her left. "Bonnie, are you okay?"

Sly sat down in silence, panicked and in disarray. Bonnie's mouth fell agape and she slowly turned her head throughout the plane. She'd been running from her mother, she put this stress on her mother. She was the reason her mother had gone to the length she did. Now this, her uncle just kidnapping her? How did he even find Kaine Island? Why did he take mom? Most importantly why had he hurt her? A thousand thoughts ran through her mind.

Sly stood and wiped a tear that he didn't realized had fallen from his eye. "Sorry," he said. "There's a lash in my eye. I didn't see Clyde with them. Who is there with him presently?"

Penelope urged him to relax even if only slightly. "I locked down Clyde's room from here when this happened, but it sounds like the system failed. But security said he's safe in the bedroom. I'd have turned back if I'd known you guys were with the kids. I just couldn't risk them feeling guilty and running again."

Sly shook his head. "You did the right thing Penelope. How long till we get back to Kaine. My son is there alone and probably frightened to death."

She checked the dash in the cockpit, "A few more hours Sly."

He began to pace and was worried to no end. He finally walked up to the cockpit and sat with Penelope asking hundreds of questions. "Has he eaten?" "What exactly happened?" "You're sure he's okay?" Penelope eased his tension claiming that security was taking care of him. Bonnie sat in the lounge and hung her head in her hand as she watched out the window. Morgan approached and spun the lounge chair in front of Bonnie around to face her.

"Are you okay?" Morgan asked.

Bonnie shrugged, "define okay." She kept her gaze blankly on the passing clouds outside of the plane's window. Morgan Moved up closer in her chair and leaned toward Bonnie. She reached out and grabbed her hand. Bonnie's eyes averted from the clouds and turned toward Morgan and her hands. Her head still faced the direction of the window, but Morgan knew she'd sparked something in Bonnie.

"You can talk to me you know that right?"

Bonnie dropped her gaze. "I don't know what to talk about Morgan. I feel so much all at once. My mother is gone, its worse my uncle is the one who both wounded and took her away. My baby brother is all alone probably scared and here I am with the overwhelming feeling that-"

"This is all your fault?" Morgan cut in.

Bonnie looked up and met Morgan's eyes. "Yeah that." She looked back out the window and Morgan could tell she was in deep thought. However she wasn't going to let Bonnie do this. Not anymore.

"Okay and how does that help?" She asked pulling her hand away from Bonnie.

Bonnie looked at her confused, "pardon?"

"You heard me. How does sitting here and blaming yourself help anyone?"

Bonnie sat quietly. She hadn't begun to think of this. "I don't know I didn't think there was anything I could do."

"Right. Because you don't know anything about the person who took your mom? You don't know information about your mother and him that could provide help us find them? You don't think that you can do this? Why don't you just understand that when you blame yourself you create problems that aren't there? You did it back in Egypt, and you did it in Mesa City and you're doing it now!"

Bonnie sat silently and let Morgan go off. Morgan rose to her feet and began pacing while she ranted to Bonnie. "You disappeared in Egypt because you didn't want us to help you because you decided for us that it was better for us in the long run. Then in Mesa City when we thought our parents were gone, you once again blamed yourself and you once again left the camp site because you once again decided that we would be better off to grieve without you. I don't understand you sometimes Bonnie! You basically did what all of our parents have done without even realizing it, twice nonetheless! The same reason you Seth and I left! And here you are doing it a third time except this time you can't run anywhere!"

Bonnie looked down in defeat. "You're right."

Morgan sat back down. "I'm not done. Bonnie you have talent, extreme talent. But it's clouded by your emotions. Where is that fearless girl who stood up to her oppressors and left home to take on the Cooper Legacy? Because I haven't seen that girl since that night! What are you so afraid of?"

Bonnie stood up and looked down at Morgan, "Everything!" she yelled. Sly and Penelope looked back but Sly shook his head and put an arm on Penelope. They assumed it was something the girls needed to hash out. Besides they had bigger things to discuss.

Morgan stood up and met Bonnie's eyes. "Define everything." She was calmer and Bonnie sensed that so she relaxed a little before she continued.

"These guys they're the real deal. I am merely an outsider. When I decided to get involved everything just started going haywire. I should have just embraced my life. I threw caution to the wind and I feel so guilty. I made so many mistakes and those are my downfall."

Morgan looked at her, "I agree. You have made so many mistakes Bonnie, but do us all a favor and get off your high horse we all have. Your downfall is not going to be the mistakes you've made, it's going to be the way you handle them."

Morgan's honesty stung Bonnie a little, but that's what friendship is being brutally honest. Morgan did have a point. "You're right." Bonnie said. "I've got to stop this. I think I know how to start." Morgan watched as Bonnie strolled up to the cockpit. She confronted her dad and Penelope. "How did you guys find my mom and how did she get to Kaine Island in the first place?"

Sly stood up to meet Bonnie face to face, "She contacted us through Dimitri in Paris. Why Bonnie?"

She strolled back through the lounge section of the plane and Sly followed "Tell me everything you know. That was indeed my uncle and I won't rest until I fit the pieces together. The answer is in-between the lines I just have to figure out which lines to read."

Sly recounted the story to Bonnie. Off to their right still in the chair Morgan couldn't help but let a smile escape. She'd finally seen the girl with the fire in her eyes and determination in her soul again. The same girl who inspired her to join this escapade. Bonnie Cooper, the new and improved.

The last few hours of the flight dragged on and on, full of theories and possible explanations. But the truth is everyone was clueless. Upon arriving on Kaine Island Bonnie agreed that on any normal day she would probably have been so excited to see the place.

She fantasized about hearing her dad tell her stories about this place, and all the other places. It was romanticized in her mind since she'd discovered exactly who her father is. However when the plane was secure in the hangar, Bonnie was the first one off. She made sure Morgan was close behind her. "Lead the way I have no idea where I am."

Sly and Penelope had to beg them to wait for Bentley to land. The only reason they waited was because they didn't want to leave Seth behind. Murray walked off the plane first and sure enough Seth was behind him. The girls called him over and he seemed eager to join them. Sly filled Bentley and Murray in as they rushed a little toward the elevator. Bonnie got their first alongside Seth and Morgan, she decided she couldn't wait for her parents to catch up and told Morgan to hit the button.

The elevator rose about six floor until it opened up in the lab. Morgan led them over to the doorway that led to the house itself. When the door lifted up the three of them stood in shock. Bookshelves were knocked over and papers lay sprawled out over the floor of the study. Smoke was coming from a leather chair that looked like it'd been burned to a crisp and security bots lie in pieces on the floor. The white carpet had some blood stains that lead over to the staircase that Bonnie assumed lead upstairs to where her brother potentially was. Morgan looked in the kitchen and discovered that there was glass littered everywhere along with food and flickering overhead lights. The place was destroyed and Morgan looked distraught. She walked back into the study where the loveseat couch now sat ripped and stuffing protruding out in all directions. A nearby nightstand was knocked over and she bent down to pick up the picture frame that had previously been on it. The glass was shattered and her heart broke looking at the picture of her family smiling so happily so carefree. She placed it back on the ground and began to cry.

Seth went into the kitchen and filled the nearest container he could find with water, he brought it out into the study and poured it over the burning couch. "Our home, our beautiful home." She released through sobs. Bonnie wanted to comfort her but she had to find her brother. Seth looked at her reassuring her that it'd be okay, he would be here to comfort Morgan. Bonnie nodded in agreement and she went off to the left then made a quick right and bolted up the stairs.

She heard the elevator ding in the background and assumed that her parents had finally arrived to the party. She knocked on several doors but with no luck. She heard muffled voices downstairs and realized that everyone must have been assessing the damage. Bonnie followed the narrow hallway to the end to discover that it continued on to her left. She followed it to the end again and noticed two rooms. Each door had a gaping hole where the knob should be. She tried the room on the left first. She readied her Cooper Cane and prepared to swing if necessary. However, no one seemed to be in here. The pale green color and flower print bed spread lead Bonnie to believe that this was Morgan's room. She walked over to the room on the right hand side of the hallway.

"Hello?" she asked softly. "Clyde honey? Are you in here?" She heard a shuffling sound from the closet. "I won't hurt you I promise, it's me Bonnie. I'm your older sister!"

She walked cautiously toward the closet door, and before reaching for the nob someone opened it. A bouncing little boy ran out and attached himself at Bonnie's legs. It was incredible how much he looked like Sly.

"You look like my mommy!" he said tears welled in his eyes.

After prying off his grip from her legs she knelt down to be eye level with him. "That's because we have the same mommy! Daddy and I came to rescue you! We heard some crazy things happened while we were gone! Are you okay?"

He hugged Bonnie and she picked him up in her arms. "So scary. Big mean man looked like mommy and you. He was shooting mommy's gun around and looking for me. I was scared and hid in the closet. Mommy yelled I wasn't here but he shot open the door anyway. I was so afraid mommy kicked him and he smacked her in the head with the gun. I cried but he didn't hear me cause he was walking away. I didn't leave the closet."

Bonnie held him tighter to her chest. She couldn't imagine how scared he must have been. "Come on Clyde; let's go talk to daddy and everyone. We are here now you are safe, you are a very brave boy."

She strolled downstairs holding Clyde. Everyone froze when she walked around the corner. From the looks of it Penelope and Morgan tried to straighten up but it wasn't looking any better. She realized everyone was waiting for her to speak. "Clyde is okay he's just been up there since the incident started. He probably hasn't eaten in a day so is there anything for him?"

Penelope came over and took him from Bonnie's arms. Murray followed Penelope into the kitchen seeing as though he was always hungry himself. Bonnie walked over to the window at the far end of the study. Seth and Morgan walked over to her because they could tell something was up. Sly sat down on the singed couch and Bentley stayed close by him. Again Bonnie felt everyone's eyes even though she was looking out the window. "I don't know why my uncle did this but he will answer for it."

"How do you propose this?" Bentley asked. "We don't even know what he wants apart from Carmelita, we don't even know how he found her."

Bonnie shook her head and turned to face everyone. At this point Penelope had returned with both Murray and Clyde. "Clyde said something to me just before. Uncle Carmelo was evidently looking for him before Carmelita lied about where he was. I don't think his plans involve harming his sister at all. I didn't even know about Clyde until recently, I doubt my uncle did either. He wants something more than just Clyde. I think he wants me too. Though it is still too early to assume, I just have to put the pieces together. However in the mean time we have to rebuild."

Sly stood up, "What are you saying?"

She met her dad's eyes, "He knows where this place is which means eventually he will come back and if he finds us he gets what he wants. We need to fortify the defenses but make them bigger and stronger. We should all stay here, work as a team, maybe even a family. I could use some more training, and Seth and Morgan included. We can't just wing this like we did before. We need to plan and train while we put the pieces together."

Morgan stepped forward and put a fist out in front of me and Seth. "I'm in." She said.

Seth smiled when we looked at him, "What? You think I'm going to put my life on the line and change locations and completely disrupt the flow of this gracious life that I've been living so far?" They both raised an eyebrow before he continued. "Because if that's what you thought then yes I'm in." He said placing a hand on top of Morgan's.

Bonnie looked at both of them, "To the new gang." She said placing her hand atop her dearest friends.

Penelope looked over all of them as she placed Clyde down on the ground. "I'm assuming there's no mind changing here?" the silence from the three kids was more than enough of an answer. "Okay, I'm in!" Penelope said walking over and placing a hand in the pile next to Morgan.

"I'm in if there are snacks!" Murray said walking across the room to Seth and placing his hand in as well.

Bentley was quick to follow, "I want to learn about this virus you developed Morgan!" he wheeled over and put his hand in.

All that left was Sly. He walked behind the couch and picked Clyde up who was cowering still. He then walked toward the group of his closest friends, their children, and his very own daughter. "So let me get this straight, working with the old gang to train our kids to take our place?" He looked everyone in the group over once before releasing a smile. "It would be an honor to help this crooked band of thieves. We've got The Thievius Raccoonus, and to help these children reach their truest potential is the greatest honor among thieves that there could ever be, especially when one of those children is the prodigal daughter of mine, Miss Bonnie Cooper Heir to the Cooper Cane and Legacy. I'm in." He slapped his hand atop the pile.

Bonnie thought about how dysfunctional of a group this was. Everyone was unique in their own way and the good part was everyone blended well together. For a moment her world felt okay. Granted she had a rabid uncle who'd kidnapped her and Clyde's mother but she was willing to compromise with herself this one time. She allowed herself to be happy just this once. Relishing in the happiness she felt with her family, because they really were her family. She had a whirlwind of things she knew would need attention sooner or later, but right now her focus was right in front of her. Finally starting the life she'd always wanted.

The group threw their hands up and cheered, then everyone began to clean. Sly walked over to Bonnie and hugged her with his free arm. "You're going to make an amazing thief Bonnie, but an even better daughter."

"A master thief?" She replied slyly.

He chuckled, "If you can steal something from me, then we'll talk." He set Clyde down and the two of them began aiding in the cleanup.

The End*

Final Authors note!

Thank you to my readers for being patient with me through writing this! I had a lot of fun exploring this idea and it's not over yet! I set the end up to have Carmelita missing as to write the sequel story following a more developed Bonnie and the new legacy to an actual plot line! I do plan to write a couple of prequel stories that provide more information on 1) the night Sly came to Carmelita and Bonnie was created. 2) Some adventures Sly's had while being "dead" and 3) The untold story of Clyde. After I've accomplished these I'm going to start working on the next story which will focus on Bonnie trying to retrieve her mother! I've got some twists and turns planned as well! Thank you for your support! Any ideas would you may have would be taken into consideration! Have a great day/night/week/whatever you prefer!

P.S. The sequel story will explain everything that was left open-ended and those pieces in-between the lines Bonnie was talking about will come together!


End file.
